An Unexpected Turn of Events
by Kaori Kisaragi
Summary: Back by popular demand! Artemis's feelings for Holly are exposed in his bold actions. How will Holly respond, and what will become of their future? Is it possible for a human to be with a fairy? Rated M for serious lemons.
1. Unplanned

**A/N: So this is a story I wrote 2 years ago, took it down for some personal/religious reasoning, then came to terms with those issues. I've since decided this is probably one of the best stories I've ever written and many people have contacted me, begging for either a copy or for me to repost it. So, I'm putting it back up - in pieces. I've since taken a college English course and now when I go back and see my many grammatical errors (I'm sure there's some I still missed), I had to fix them. So, as I edit the chapters, I will repost them. **

**For those of you who are not familiar with this story, this was written before Atlantis Complex came out so it is supposed to take place after Time Paradox. this chapter was originally written as a one-shot but was then developed into a 200K word novel (yeah, you might want to reconsider getting invested now).**

**Please review once again. Once upon a time, this was the highest reviewed AF M-rated fanfic on the site. I lost all those reviews. :(**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Artemis Fowl are Eoin Colfer's. No copyright infringement intended.**

Butler entered the kitchen to find Artemis at the breakfast counter with a distant look in his eyes. Butler assumed he was either still half asleep or lost in thought. Either was plausible considering that since Artemis had entered puberty, he slept like a stone and waking up had become increasingly difficult. The latter option of him being lost in thought though, was more probable.

"Something on your mind?" Butler inquired to Artemis who did not even acknowledge Butler's presence.

"Hmm?" Artemis came to from his daze and looked towards Butler. "What was that?"

He wasn't paying attention at all. It was very unusual for Artemis to not be aware of his surroundings. Butler thought he had taught him better than that.

"I asked you if you had something on your mind but I see the obviously answer to that question is 'yes'".

"Oh". He said, then returned to his distant stare.

"Artemis, do you want anything in particular for breakfast this morning?" Butler wasn't one to pry. Yet he kept the conversation going, realizing that if Artemis wanted to talk, he would do so on his own terms.

"Just eggs." There was a short pause before he spoke again. "Butler, have you ever had a disturbing dream?" he blurted out.

Butler turned to examine the expression on his young charge's face. He looked utterly perturbed. He clearly deduced that Artemis was not actually inquiring about Butler's dream patterns, but obviously Artemis himself had had a dream he found 'disturbing' and was asking indirectly if this was a common occurrence amongst the 'common-minded folk'.

"Yes, I suppose I have." Butler had had several nightmarish dreams remembering certain battles and stressful situations he had encountered throughout his career. The worst of them being a case where the dream ended in Artemis being shot. However, Butler misunderstood Artemis's definition of 'disturbing'. "We all get nightmares from time to time, Artemis".

"No, that's not what I meant. Of course we all get nightmares. It's the brain's way of subconsciously purging itself from stressful memories. No, what I meant was…" He paused, suddenly obviously uncomfortable with the discussion. "I mean, you know, it's this awful puberty thing. It's becoming increasingly difficult to control".

"Oh. _Those_ kind of dreams. Yes, Artemis. That is normal. If you don't dwell on it, you will naturally forget it shortly."

"Too late for that" Artemis muttered miserably. "I can't get the images out of my head. It involved someone I care about but I didn't think of that way…Butler…" Artemis sounded very distressed but continued "It was me, with _Holly_!"

Butler tried hard to hide his smirk, but was most likely failing. _At least it was with a female_ he mused, though he wondered why this would have been "disturbing" to Artemis. He could see he clearly had feelings for her, even though Artemis would never admit it, not even to himself. Maybe it was his subconscious trying to drop him a clue.

"Butler, we are not even the same _species_! The physical impossibilities of the pairing…" he trailed off.

Butler clapped him on the shoulder. "Artemis, don't stress over it. It's normal." Butler said with a reassuring voice.

"I suppose you are correct. On an entirely different note, I will need my bed sheets changed today."

* * *

All day long, Artemis was haunted with the images of his erotic dream involving Holly. However, in his dream she appeared to be human, and there was no 'size' issue. Artemis, having the mind to be calculating constantly, tried to picture how a coupling between the two of them could actually work factoring in their size difference.

Suddenly, he found he was not just simply looking at this as a scientific equation to solve. He was actually fantasizing. When he came to this realization, he quickly changed his train of thought to something else; anything else, except nothing else came to mind, or at least had enough power to overcome his current train of thought. Jumping from the chair of his desk so forcefully he knocked the chair over, Artemis bolted to his private en-suite bathroom and ran himself a very, very cold shower.

After completing a lengthy entry in his diary documenting the day's occurrences, he decided to research erotic dreams. Sadly, though, he found that simply typing the word "erotic" into a search engine produced results he had not intended to come across. A pop-up window appeared on his monitor, showcasing a nude woman bent over displaying her _invitation _to the viewer. Artemis slammed his laptop shut, not even containing the strength to simply close out the window. He disconnected the battery and put the laptop back on his desk. Perhaps the Internet wasn't the best source of information in _this_ particular case.

Artemis was determined to change his line of thinking. Since isolation wasn't the best choice, he sought out his parents. He found them in the kitchen preparing dessert. Recently, Angeline had taken a passion to baking French pastries and refused to let Butler assist her in her newfound hobby. Artemis Fowl the First loomed over her as she was mixing what appeared to be some sort of icing. Artemis watched as his father place his arms around his mother's waist in a warm embrace. This was not so unusual since his father had returned home. He and his mother had been more openly affectionate than Artemis remembered in his earlier childhood days. Artemis actually found it endearing.

That was until he heard their quiet conversation. Sometimes the ability to lip read works to your disadvantage. Artemis Senior had whispered into Angeline's ear about "saving some of that icing for later" all while pressing his pelvis forcefully against Angeline's rear. Angeline giggled like a schoolgirl. Artemis Junior paled and fought his gag reflex. Clearly now was an inconvenient time for him to be with his parents.

Artemis sat quietly at the dinner table, barely touching his food. When dessert came, he politely refused. He stated that he had a stomachache, which wasn't entirely a lie. He recalled the scene from earlier that day when the now iced pastries were set out before him.

"Artemis, are you unwell? Should I call the doctor?" Angeline said, her voice full of concern for her eldest son. She knew he was legally 19, but after Angeline's _experience _involving Opal Koboi, Artemis had explained how he lost 3 years and was really only biologically 16. She worried about the effects this might have had on his physical health. Though even if something were wrong, he would probably need assistance from the fairy people regarding any health issue that was the result of jumping through dimensions.

"Maybe you could call your friend Holly to see if she could help you. I know she has helped you before."

Artemis's glare could have shot daggers. "Holly's assistance will not be required. Please excuse me," he said in a steely voice as he left the table and retired to his room.

In his bedroom, Artemis thought. Then pondered. Then found that once again he was fantasizing. He imagined Holly's smooth caramel skin that was perpetually hidden from view by her LEP suit. How he would like very much to find the zipper to that damn thing and tear it off. Artemis was deeply entangled in his fantasy when he realized he had become painfully aroused.

It was late and he was alone in his bedroom. The security cameras were not only disabled, but also physically unwired currently, as he had become increasingly paranoid of Foaly's supreme hacking skills. Just as his left hand began to creep below the waistband of his boxers, he noticed a breeze in his curtains that came from an invisible source accompanied by the sound of steps that could only be those of a stealth cat or…

"Holly?" Artemis sat up in his bed alarmed, wary that he was not actually alone in his room. His assumption was correct.

Holly shimmered into visibility. "Damn, I was trying to scare the pants off you!"

_Poor choice words_, thought Artemis. He was pleasantly surprised to be seeing Holly actually in front of him. It had been at least six weeks since she had even last called him, even longer since he'd seen her in person, though he knew it wasn't exactly easy to get a surface visa and she did have a job.

"What are you doing here?" he finally managed to choke out.

"Gee, nice to see you too, Mud Boy." She said giving him a degrading glare, which morphed into a smug smile. She took off her helmet and ruffled her hair to give it back some volume after being squashed in the helmet for hours now. Her hair was still short but longer than he remembered, with the shortest parts now touching her ear lobe and the longer parts hitting the nape of her neck. She was absolutely stunning, as he had always thought, though recently this revelation made him terribly uncomfortable.

"That's not what I meant. I mean it's good to see you. I was just, well, wondering what the purpose of this visit is?" Artemis was stammering and overly formal. _Very unusual_, thought Holly. Maybe she really had given him a fright and he was just hiding it better than she previously assumed.

"I just finished up with the Ritual. You know it doesn't actually take very long. Now that I'm a Major, I get fewer and fewer opportunities to come to the surface. I figured since I was up, I'd drop by. I haven't seen you in a while." She managed to sound very nonchalant about it, although she had been dying to come visit Artemis for months now. She had even had to stop herself from calling him so often, as she found this was only increasing her suffering. She was a little less than pleased to see that he was not jumping for joy at her unexpected visit. Unbeknownst to her, Artemis's heart had practically stopped and he had done everything he could to conceal the fact that he was already aroused when she arrived. Being in her actual presence was doing nothing to remedy that situation. In fact, it was doing quite the opposite.

"Holly, it's always nice to see you. Maybe you could call ahead next time, give me some time to prepare?" He had completely averted his gaze from her. He felt like every time he looked at her, his eyes bore through her clothing and the images of both dreams and fantasies became more life-like.

"Sure. Are you okay, Arty? You look… miserable." She walked towards him placing her helmet on his bedside table. She hopped onto his enormous bed to get a closer look at him. Immediately, Artemis pulled his knees up in hopes of concealing a possibly visible 'tent', and buried his flushed face between his crossed arms. Holly stared at him in shock, now realizing that something was seriously bothering him. She put her arm around him and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Artemis, you can talk to me if you want. We're friends, right? That's what friends do?" she paused for a minute to scold herself silently, remembering that friends call more often than every six weeks and certainly visit more often than she had. "Are you…you're not mad at me, are you?"

Artemis peeked up at her with an incredulous look. "No. What would make you think that?"

"I don't know. Just that I haven't been able to see you and maybe you felt like I haven't been there for you, or something."

"You know what, Holly," he stated "I _am_ mad at you. But not for that reason." His expression was fierce and took her by surprise. She had really pissed him off somehow.

"Why then? What did I do?" she shot back in a defensive tone.

"You gave me something and then took it away without asking! Even I wouldn't do something so cruel. Well, maybe _I_ would. But I would not have come to expect such a thing from you!" He continued to stare her down with their faces only inches apart. Holly was still in shock and confused as ever as to what he could be referring to.

"What? What did I give you? What on earth are you talking about?" she yelled back trying to glare at him just as fiercely, not allowing herself to be intimated by Artemis yet again. Before she had time to react, he had grabbed the back of her head and crashed a very rough, angry kiss on her lips. She then realized what he was referring to. She pushed at him, a reaction to the instinctual feeling of being attacked. He fought to keep his hold on her as his fingers knotted through her hair. When she finally conceded and kissed him in return, he released her hair and then her head. She looked back at him, bewildered as to what brought this on so suddenly. She was honestly surprised by his forcefulness.

"I made amends for my error towards you. You do not kiss me then tell me I will never experience it again. That is not how it works. You were the one to open Pandora's box, Holly, and as you know, the box cannot be closed once opened."

Holly was speechless. She knew she had feelings for Artemis but assumed he didn't return them. Assumed that, in fact, he may not have a romantic or passionate side to his personality at all. This was very unexpected. She desperately struggled to comprehend the situation. There _are _certain situations in life that the LEP Academy does not prepare you for.

"I…uhm…"

_Real intelligent,_ thought Holly. She needed to say something but was having difficulty finding words. "I didn't know that you felt that way."

_Smooth, real smooth._ She had a hard time not rolling her eyes at her own cliché response.

Artemis continued to push her under his gaze. She was admittedly intimidated by him, but felt that she had wronged him and didn't know what to say to make amends. She wanted to make amends.

"Artemis, I'm sorry. It was presumptuous of me to act the way I did in the gorilla cage. I honestly think I had just become so overwhelmed with the whole situation. And add in the fact that I was transformed back into an emotional 'teenager'. I shouldn't have acted the way I did or said the things I said…"

He stared at her as she rambled on. It sounded like she was either regretting kissing him or regretting telling him he'd never kiss her again or maybe both. He was truly puzzled, and decided to put his theory into action. He moved closer to her, his lips barely brushing hers, but he stopped there. If she wanted to kiss him, it would be her choice. Or she could push him away. Either way, he'd respect her choice, though he prayed it wasn't the latter.

Holly stayed stone still. She braced herself for another of his angry kisses but was stunned to find him paused, hovering. She was surprised, and surprisingly disappointed.

Holly moved, slightly towards him, just enough to feel his young, soft lips. She couldn't resist. It had been wrong to lie to herself about her feelings for him and forcefully think that there wasn't anything there. They both clearly knew there was. This time it was her who knotted her fingers through his hair to deepen their kiss.

Artemis smiled inwardly, pleasantly surprised to find his theory to be correct, for the better. She had indeed kissed him back of her own volition but with a greater passion than he had expected. Although the genius's brain could handle many different problems and situations as once, he was finding it difficult to calculate what should next be done or said due to a surprising lack of blood supply in his head.

Holly broke the kiss, gasping, still shocked. Artemis's expression had turned from an intimidated glare to a predatory grin. Holly was actually afraid for a fraction of a second. Even as a 12 year old, he had always been intimidating. But this was Arty, her Arty. He wouldn't try anything on her, would he?

Unfortunately for Holly, she had underestimated the hormone-driven male she had just moments ago enticed with a passionate kiss. All bets were off now, so to speak. She really couldn't predict what he'd do or how he'd react.

Artemis moved on to his knees, placing him in front of Holly. The blankets that had previously concealed him now fell to the mattress revealing he only wore his boxers to bed. This would not have been an unexpected sight for Holly since she had seen him in his shorts before. Although, at that time, he had been a 14 and-a-half-year-old and deathly embarrassed.

_My, how time changes things,_ she thought as she looked at the young man before her. He had probably grown at least another four inches since then and had filled out nicely. He didn't seem to be embarrassed at all to be in front of her with only his underwear on. In fact, as she couldn't help but notice, he was quite apparently aroused.

She was still staring down when he grabbed her shoulders, pushing her against the headboard of the giant four-poster bed. She was amazed that her little Arty had grown up, but then realized his intentions.

"Artemis! I don't think we should be too hasty." Holly pleaded in a thin scream. She was not used to losing control of the situation. If, and it was a big if, something like this was going to happen, it would be on her terms.

However, Artemis didn't see it her way and continued to advance on her, pressing his erect member against her covered opening. Holly gasped more out of shock than anything else, but Artemis took it as an invitation to continue. After all, she had never said 'no' or 'stop'. He would not force her into anything, but at the same time he would not be denied over any reason he found to be trivial.

He moved in to kiss her neck and trailed his finger along the neckline of her LEP jump suit. She heard him growl in frustration. "_Where is_ the zipper?" he huffed, tugging at the neckline.

Still bewildered and yet intrigued by the situation she had found herself in, she realized the she had answered him before giving it much thought. Especially irresponsible being quite aware his question was not out of simple curiosity.

"It's in the back," she said in almost a whisper. She was shaken by how quickly he released his pin against her, only to pull her close to him. The hand that had previously been at her neckline found the zipper and flew down, unzipping the entire length of it. Holly let out a gasp that made his heart shudder as her suit came undone. He grabbed the hems of her sleeves and tugged them in a quick, precise fashion- the way a magician might remove a tablecloth, leaving all the glasses and silver undisturbed on the table.

Although he had successfully removed her LEP suit from half her body, he was very disgruntled to find she wore her one-piece beneath it. His vicious movements had not revealed anything to him. He grabbed her under her knees and jerked her forward so she was on her back supporting herself with her forearms, her legs bent on either side of his hips. Artemis found this to be more agreeable as he responded to her shocked look with his signature vampiric smile.

In quite the same fashion as removing her arms from her sleeves, he repeated the action with her legs. Her suit came loose from her and disappeared behind him. His eyes beamed with success. Now the matter of that pesky one-piece…

Holly remained dazed throughout this entire ordeal. Part of her brain was telling her '_What the hell are you doing! It doesn't matter that he's twice your size or that he's filled out! You've taken down trolls! You can take him too! Don't let him overpower you._' But the other part of her brain was too impressed by his bold actions and honestly, quite aroused by it. This internal conflict kept her from either reciprocating or fighting him off. Instead, she simply allowed herself to be manipulated by the young man she had wished for many times but had written off as an impossibility.

With her LEP suit removed he trailed his fingers up and down her bare legs. He figured it went on (and therefore off) in the same fashion as a bathing suit. He pulled down the straps of the one-piece, peeling it from her body. He suddenly slowed at her elbows, looking at her for his cue. Locking his gaze, she lifted her arms out of the arm straps allowing him to continue. With painful slowness, he pulled it down off of her, only pausing after he had revealed her breasts. They were small, yet perfectly proportionate to her tiny frame. Her dusty pink peaks visibly hardened at the exposure to the cool air. Artemis's expression darkened as he took in her visage. He gently ran his fingertips over her left nipple, barely touching it. Holly closed her eyes, instinctively arching her back into his touch. Artemis smiled at the knowledge he was teasing her. He found sadistic pleasure in the fact that he was frustrating her. _Serves her right_, he thought.

He continued the action on her right breast and again she arched up towards his touch. He ran his finger tips in a gentle circle around her areola and watched in wonder as it puckered at his touch. Holly was truly turned on now, not that she hadn't been before, but now she was actually writhing beneath him. She bit her bottom lip hard in an attempt to silence her moans but a few managed to escape.

Satisfied with her frustration, he decided it would be unkind to continue with the teasing, not to mention uncomfortable for even him. He tore off the rest of her one-piece in a swift, unceremonious fashion and suddenly there she was, lying before him, completely naked.

'_How did this happen!_' screamed that part of her brain that she had somehow manage to cage throughout this experience. Yet, she continued to lie still and allow whatever it was he was planning. She had a vague idea of what it might be, what she hoped it would be.

She opened her eyes, looking for his face. His smug grin had turned to one of actual surprise. His hungry eyes raked over her body down to the small triangle of soft brown hair between her legs. Artemis was taken aback by his actions, but felt it imperative to the health of his reproductive organs to continue. Things felt as if they were beginning to turn blue.

"Holly, are you okay with this?" he breathed. His voice was so low and he sounded as he may have been trying to keep himself from panting. Holly was still lost in the ecstasy back in his touch to her nipple. She closed her eyes again and nodded. "Are you positively certain?" He asked again, though he really wasn't giving her much time to change her mind. He had already slipped out of his boxers and they joined her suit and one-piece on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Holly, although her eyes were closed, could tell what he was doing as he shifted between her legs. She braved herself a look. She had previously acknowledged to herself that there was going to be a size difference but still she wasn't prepared for what she saw when she opened her eyes. Her expression turned from one of lust to one of utter worry. '_He wants to stick THAT in me?_' said that caged part of her brain. The part of her brain that had been in control yet silent all this time finally replied to its counterpart. '_Shut up, you can take it._' Simultaneously, she wondered if it was healthy to be talking to herself in this fashion.

Artemis realized she had also worried about the size issue. He did his best to calm her fears. "Holly, I won't hurt you. If it hurts, tell me. I'll stop." He gently lifted her, up on her knees in front of him, to be somewhat close to eye level. Still she barely came up to his chin.

Holly just nodded in acknowledgment of his statement to be gentle. Yet, she really wondered if that would be possible for him in his current state, and indeed, is that what she wanted anyway?

Artemis resumed his previous position, pressing her against the headboard. This time, lifting her onto his lap, he spread her legs alongside him. He pressed his lips to hers then trailed his tongue down her jaw line towards her earlobe. He started with a gentle nip to her earlobe but then raked his teeth over it. Holly hissed at the pleasurable pain as her hips, quite on their own, began to buck towards him. She could feel his hard member against her now extremely wet entrance and moved against it to gain some friction.

Her invitation was clear enough to him and he took no time to plunge inside of her. _So much for gentle,_ she thought as she winced at the pain. It's not like this was her first experience, just her first experience with something so... large. He was inside, but didn't move yet. He waited for her to recover to see if he could proceed. At this point, he wasn't sure if he _could_ stop, even if she begged him to. Thankfully, he didn't have to face that dilemma. Already extremely aroused, her walls began to relax. As she stretched to accommodate him, the pleasure out ruled any pain that may have remained and a certain rhythm appeared in their movement.

Artemis silently thanked the gods for all of this and released any apprehension he had about hurting her. He thrust against her with incrementally increasing force than she had initially allowed, pinning her up against the headboard.

She caught his eyes again, giving him a coy smile. Holly realized that he had thought this over, since this was probably the best position to accommodate their size difference, not to mention it felt awesome in her opinion. He supported her weight by cupping her ass in his hands until she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around the back of his neck. His neck was hot and slick from sweat and strands of hair fell in front of his eyes as he pressed her back against the headboard giving him leverage to release his hands and pin her in position by spearing into her. Holly moaned loudly in pleasure and shock at the sudden forceful movement, forgetting that there might be someone who could hear her. Artemis loved to hear her cry out but was not thrilled at the idea of being caught with his pants down, literally. He covered her mouth with his own and pushed his tongue into her mouth with the same force and rhythm as he pushed with other parts into other holes.

Holly's cries were muffled in his mouth, but it only spurred him to continue to claim her as his. While one of his hands held her shoulder pinned to the headboard, the other moved down to cup her breast and pinched at her nipple. Her breath hitched, and then she suddenly gasped. He knew she was there. Artemis felt her walls constrict firmly around his cock and a hot liquid he knew wasn't his own came spilling against him and down the inside of her thighs. He was thankful she had came first because he honestly couldn't hold on a second longer.

With a final forceful thrust, he grunted as he came and emptied into her. Never in any conscious memory, had Artemis Fowl the Second ever had his mind go completely and truly blank…until now. The only thing he could process was that this was total ecstasy, and Holly was his.

A few moments later, his mind returned, thankful for the reprieve and the return of blood that other parts of his body had borrowed. He slowly withdrew himself from Holly and backed off of her. She slid down the headboard and landed, her butt on the pillows. Artemis held his weight with his hands on the headboard on either side of her head so as to not collapse on top of her.

Holly's eyes rolled back to their forward position and took in the scene. She had just had willful sex with a Mud Man! Not just any Mud Man, but Artemis Fowl! The Council is not going to like this one bit. Interspecies relations were generally frowned upon even amongst the fairy families. This was taking it a step beyond.

"Holly," he panted, looking at her warily. This had happened so suddenly. He was bracing himself for her wrath. He felt as if he had somehow seduced her unwillingly, yet he couldn't think of how.

"Oh, Artemis. That was... ". She tried to answer, out of breath, "amazing."

He smiled at her, satisfied that she was satisfied and took her into his arms to hold her. Holly laced her arms through his. His heart was audibly thundering in his chest against her ear. She kissed his collarbone and lovingly traced circles around his shoulder with her fingertip.

Artemis fought hard to keep his emotions in check. He was overwhelmed. He realized he had not simply been sexually frustrated, craving a physical release- he really wanted Holly. He wanted her to be _his_. And Holly he was given, despite everything he had done to her in the past, despite their species difference and any possible consequences that their coupling might have.

"Artemis, I can't stay. I want to but I can't." she apologetically squeezed him, then pushed herself away from him and slid off the bed. Artemis collapsed at last onto his side, sweaty, panting, with dark spots dancing in front of his eyes. She skipped on her toes to his en-suite to clean up. He got a nice view of her bare ass as she darted away from him. He really wished she'd stick around long enough for 'round two'.

She could feel his eyes on her and she turned to stuck her tongue out at him. "Didn't you ever hear it's impolite to stare?" She smirked, then shut the bathroom door behind her.

Artemis was pleased to find this was far too real to be another dream. It had been far better than anything his subconscious could conjure up. He now had a fabulous inspiration for his next novel.

Holly emerged from the bathroom and collected her clothing. Artemis watched her slide into her suit and unconsciously began to pout. Holly turned to see his face and couldn't help but laugh. "I'll be back soon enough, Mud Man. Don't give me that look." He noticed she had finally stopped referring to him as a boy and felt quite suddenly smug about this.

"Holly."

She paused and looked at him over her shoulder as she zipped up.

"Thank you."

_That sounds horrible! Say something else!_ He screamed at himself. "What I mean is, Holly, I don't think you realize what that meant for me." He found he couldn't continue. Why was sharing your body with someone you loved easier than simply expressing it in words? Holly examined his conflicted expression and pried at him to continue.

"What does it mean for you, Artemis?" she was honestly curious. If he was going to be the pursuer, he was going to say it first too.

He knew it was only fair to tell her. He had no idea when she'd be able to get back to see him again. He most certainly was not welcome in Haven. And this, this was not something you can say over the phone.

"Holly, I…" he swallowed a lump in his throat. Even if she didn't return his feelings, she obvious felt something towards him otherwise she would have not allowed what just happened to occur. "Holly, I love you. I always have. From as far back as I can remember. Even when I first saw you, and well, put you in the cellar. Even my frozen conscience at the time was stung by the fact that of all the fairies to kidnap, it had to be a beautiful female. If I hadn't been such a wretch at the time, I would have let you go immediately. But I guess I'm glad I didn't, since circumstances wouldn't have then led us up to... this."

Holly made the best sense she could of his rambling. She returned to the bedside to kiss him gently on the lips. She got the point of the message. "I love you too, Arty. But now I have to go before Foaly remote activates the cameras on my helmet to figure out why my suit suddenly lost all body heat."

Artemis suddenly realized this was not outside of Foaly's capabilities and he would, in fact, become worried when the vitals read-out supplied from her LEP suit suddenly flat-lined. She would have to be either dead or naked. He would have to rule out the first, more dreadful option. Artemis hadn't noticed the helmet on the bedside table the whole time... turned toward them. Mortified, Artemis stared at the helmet and pondered how long it would take for Foaly to check on Holly. His worse fears were most likely probable. Artemis blanched white, and then went completely red. He glared right into the visor of the helmet and in the most menacing, threatening voice he could muster said, "If you are watching and you say a _word_, I will _find_ you, and _destroy_ you!"

"Oh please Arty, have more faith in your friends. Don't you think that even _if _Foaly had turned on the camera and gathered what we were up to he would have turned it off to respect our privacy?"

"Mmm." Artemis neither agreed nor disagreed. He was highly skeptical. He shot the helmet another menacing glare.

**Back in Police Plaza**

Foaly was in a fit of shock. He had been discovered peeping. He took Artemis's threat with all the seriousness that was intended. He quickly scrubbed the data to manufacture false readings the entire time Holly was _occupied _and looped her vitals and GPS location several hours back to Tara. If anyone ever found he'd tampered with the data, it would be his neck on the line, but he'd do it for Holly. Though, Artemis's threat may also have had some of the motivating factor to his choice of action.

**Back at Fowl Manor**

Holly had left shortly after midnight and Artemis was left to fall asleep alone. Although he really wished she could have stayed, it didn't really matter. He replayed her words in his mind "_I love you too"_. It was more beautiful than any other sound he'd heard. Artemis drifted into a deep, restful slumber. Something he had not enjoyed for some time.


	2. Repercussions

**A/N: Ok, I was going to do a drastic edit of this story but I... just... can't. If someone else wants to, be my guest. I have, however, tried to change two major grammatical errors I've made in the past: "Artemis'" (no apostrophe 's') and "alright" as opposed to "all right". I hate those errors. Otherwise, if you see a typo or anything glaring, please tell me. I WANT TO FIX IT.**

**Also, my friend and fellow AF Fanfiction author, Kitsune Heart, is doing a podfic of this story! Woo hoo! I believe you can get a link to it from her profile (Kit, if I'm wrong, please correct me). I'm also under the impression that she is still recruiting voice actors for a few parts. Please feel free to contact her directly in regards to her podfic project. I'm super flattered that my story's being made into an audio book. I hope you all will go check it out.**

**I'm terribly sorry for the delayed update. It won't typically be this way. Normally, once I get 10 reviews on a chapter, I will put up the next one. Really, I'd like 20 but this isn't a new story so one can't be too greedy. ;) **

**Speaking of reviews, THANK YOU EVERYONE who reviewed! I live for feedback and I'm so happy to hear that many of you who've read this once (or more) before are reading it once again and super excited to see there are new folks who are just discovering this story. I really hope you like it! This was my first fiction so it has some rough bits but otherwise, I'm actually quite proud of it. :3**

**Disclaimer: Once again, no copyright infringement intended. E.C. owns.**

* * *

Holly pulled into Police Plaza a little after 3:00 a.m. She had to pass by the Ops Booth in order to reach her desk. She knew Foaly would still be there. He and Caballine had been fighting lately, apparently because Foaly never seems to spend any time with her and 'lives at work'. Holly couldn't really blame her. That would tick her off too.

Holly tried to keep her heart rate steady as she strolled past Foaly, a technique she'd learned as a cadet. It wasn't going to prove helpful however.

"Hey, Holly. How did the Ritual go? Was it everything you hoped it would be? Maybe more?" he jeered, his voice laced with innuendo.

_D'Arvit, he knows._ Holly tried to hide the mortified expression behind the visor of her helmet.

"I'm running hot, if that's what you're asking". She tried to act innocent as lying had never been one of her fortes.

"I bet you are." He let out a huge guffaw at Holly's expense. In the background, Holly saw the screen that displayed her vital read-outs from her suit and saw she was failing at her heart rate control. An alarm sounding that her heart was beating at double speed.

Foaly glanced back at the monitor. "Oh Holly, you _sure_ you don't want to tell me something? I think it would be in your best interests to have a friend in a high position on your side right now."

He was right of course. If the Council found out she had been _intimate _with a Mud Man, she could lose her job, especially while technically still on duty. However, the embarrassment was just too much to take. His teasing was boiling her blood. Maybe she'd picked up too many habits from Commander Root.

She launched herself towards Foaly, grabbing an angry fistful of his beard. She lifted her visor so he could see her eyes. They were absolutely menacing. "Foaly, I _swear_, if you say a word, so help me Frond…"

She didn't need to finish. "Hey, hey! Calm down! I got your back on this one, girl. Come on, after all we've been through? You know I wouldn't release you to the sharks… I'll just tease you relentlessly."

Holly backed down. She knew that if anyone under the world that could be trusted with her secret, it would be Foaly, though she much preferred the idea of no one knowing. "I'm going home to sleep." She replied, defeated.

"That's a good idea. It sounds like you had a _long, hard_ night." Foaly was trying to hide the snicker in his voice, trying and failing.

Holly, still pissed off, turned on him. "You know Foaly, why don't you take some pointers from Artemis and go show your wife some attention. It's 3:00 a.m. in the fucking morning! GO HOME."

"Ouch Holly. Harsh, too harsh." Foaly was obviously hurt by her comment. Though Foaly was used to snappy comebacks to his constant teasing, receiving one from Holly about his troubled marriage wasn't something he could just let roll off his back.

"I'm sorry Foaly. Really. I'm stressed out. No one can know. I mean it, NO ONE." She smirked at him. "I may just have to mind wipe you."

"Yeah, like you could even operate the equipment without me."

"Who said I wouldn't just block wipe you? Your IQ might take a slight dip... but I think it would be worth it for me." she smirked.

"Of course, Major Short. You have a good night. Next time you talk to him, offer him my congrats."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Goodnight Foaly. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Fowl Manor

Artemis let the hot water stream it's way down his back as he showered, quite absent from his mind. He was trying to figure out how last night's event transpired and could only chalk it up to hormones. It seemed like an illogical choice of action. Although he was now aware he did in fact _love_ Holly, to become physically intimate with her would put her in so much jeopardy. Too much. Artemis felt guilty for willfully putting someone he cared for in such a predicament.

Throughout the week, Artemis tried to focus on his various projects: bankrupting entire corporations before they merged or received more federal bail-outs, writing his new novel under his preferred pseudonym of Violet Tsirblou, as well as a new hobby Butler had encouraged him to learn, fencing. Artemis wasn't one for physical activities though he did enjoy how much technical prowess it required. Of course, Butler was his teacher and sparring partner.

Artemis's weapon of choice was currently the foil. He chose it due to its light weight and enjoyed the challenge that the instrument placed upon the duel. With the foil in his hand, he was limited to strike his opponent solely in the torso. Though, with Butler as an opponent, this still left him with quite a large target.

He managed to survive to Friday. Five days since he'd last seen Holly and she had only called once within that time. Artemis had just finished up a match with Butler, who once again completely defeated him… not that he really figured he'd beat Butler, having little experience against someone who'd been trained his whole life to fight in every style imaginable.

As they put their equipment away, Artemis sighed. These distractions were not… distracting enough. His mind still raced. When he had talked to Holly over the communicator, Holly did not bring up anything personal, keeping the entire conversation casual. Artemis didn't press the issue since she was probably afraid of the line being tapped, or just wasn't ready to talk about it. Meanwhile, he felt as if he'd lose his mind if he couldn't figure out what her thoughts were on 'them'. He knew pursuing a relationship of that nature was most likely too dangerous for her. And besides, he thought, what could really become of it? He couldn't stay with her, she couldn't stay with him. Was acting as if nothing happened the best course of action? Was 'friends' all they could ever be?

Butler didn't have to be trained to read people (although he was) to figure out Artemis had a lot on his mind. Butler had always thought of Artemis as a friend, maybe even family. He was with him almost every waking moment of the day, with only 3 days off a month. Butler wished Artemis would be more apt to confide in him, but he knew first and foremost, he was an employee. Now he simply placed his hand on Artemis's shoulder and gave him a look to demonstrate his concern.

Artemis turned, to look up towards his face. Even at 5'8", Artemis still felt dwarfed under Butler's enormous 7' stature. He saw his friend's concern in his expression, though he didn't know what to say. Aside from Holly, Butler was his best friend. Yet, it's not like you can exactly say '_Hey old friend, I slept with my best friend, who by the way, is an elf, and even though we had both confessed our love for one another, she's acting as if the whole thing never occurred. Oh, and I could have, possibly, ruined her career.'_

Artemis just sighed again and said nothing. He _did_ want to talk to someone he could trust about this. But how?

"Butler…" he started but then stopped, unsure how to continue. "I'm sorry I wasn't more focused on our match today. I'll concentrate harder tomorrow I promise."

"Artemis, you can talk to me. You know I won't judge or divulge your secrets to anyone. Can I assume that you have a certain someone on your mind these days?"

Artemis's eyes widened. He wondered what he already knew. He very possibly could have been doing rounds at the very time that Artemis was with Holly. What if he heard something? Artemis eyed him suspiciously. "What do you know?"

Butler laughed. A sound rarely heard. "Artemis, I know you've been terribly distracted lately, secluding yourself, and you have a constant forlorn look on your face. It's a girl. I'm not blind you know."

Artemis seemed partially satisfied with this answer. If he knew something more, he was just going to fake ignorance and that was a more attractive scenario to Artemis than discussing 'details'.

"You are correct my old friend. I am concerned for Holly. It seems certain events have transpired with her that may put her employment in jeopardy. Of course, I am at fault."

"Ah. Does this mean she will not be visiting anymore?" Butler was the only other person in the house who Artemis would let Holly interact with. Even though his mother had knowledge of her, he had never introduced them to one another.

Artemis's heart sank at the thought of never seeing Holly again. Though he knew he certainly didn't deserve any less, it seemed like a punishment too harsh to bear. "I don't know, to be completely honest."

"Artemis, you'll figure something out. I'm sure you will. In the meantime, try not to let it get you down too much. There are certain events in our lives we have little to no control over."

Although he knew he was right about this, Artemis still didn't like the thought of simply sitting idly by while Holly was taken from him. Butler was also correct in the first part of his statement…he'd figure something out.

"Thank you, friend. You are correct as usual. I will figure this out."

Later in the evening, Artemis retired to his room immediately after dinner. Angeline gave a concerned look at Butler, hoping he might be able to enlighten her as to whatever it was that was bothering her son. Butler gave her a nod, and while Artemis Senior told the twins a very animated (though edited) story about one of his adventures with the Italian Mafia, Angeline followed Butler into the kitchen where he was taking the dishes from dinner to be cleaned.

"Butler, what's wrong with him? You know, if he was any other teenager, I would simply regard it as a mood swing. But this is Artemis, and I'm not sure what it could be. Is he in trouble, Butler?" Angeline was not ignorant to Artemis's genius or his shaded past. Her imagination began to run wild with all the possibilities that could have her son so stressed.

"No, Madam Fowl, your first assumption is more correct than you realize."

"So he's not involved in anything illegal? I mean, like maybe he just has a crush on some girl and doesn't know how to tell her?" Her voice betrayed her hopefulness. Although Butler was certain that Artemis's problems stemmed from feelings towards a 'girl', he couldn't reassure Angeline that he wasn't necessarily involved in something illegal.

"Perhaps you should speak with him directly. I wouldn't want to betray his trust, you understand."

"Of course, Butler. I _am_ his mother. I should talk to him myself." With that, she headed after Artemis passing through the dining room on her way.

"Kids, mommy will be right back. Don't give your father too much trouble." Artemis Senior looked up at her curiously. She bent down to whisper in her husband's ear. "I'm going to go check on him".

Artemis Senior nodded and returned to his lively reenactment for the twins.

Artemis had removed his suit jacket and laid it over that back of his desk chair. He had just finished untying his tie when he heard a knock on his door.

Assuming it was Butler, Artemis issued his invitation. "Come."

Angeline opened the door, to Artemis's surprise. "Can we talk sweetheart?"

"Moth-Mum,…" catching himself mid-word. "Certainly, please come in." Artemis picked up his suit jacket and presented the chair for his mother. Angeline came in and sat down while Artemis went to hang up his jacket.

"What is it you'd like to speak to me about Mum?" he asked. He knew full well she was about to pry into his personal life and was not sure of the answers he would be able to formulate that would not be considered 'lying'. He would never tell her more than she needed to know.

"Honey, I'm so worried about you. You've been so distant. You have something bothering you, and I know you don't have many friends…"

_Thanks for pointing out the obvious, Mother, _Artemis thought as he rolled his eyes, though he knew the door to the wardrobe he was half inside currently hid his insolent facial expression.

"Dear, I just know when something's bothering me, I like to discuss it. It's not good for your health to keep things bottled up you know. Please son, you know I love you. You can tell me anything at all."

Artemis felt horrible keeping things from his mother, almost as badly as he did from Butler. It seems some secrets were just too heavy a burden to bear.

"Mum, I truly appreciate your concern. I am currently facing a difficult situation regarding a friend of mine, one of the few I do have, and although it is troubling, I'm certain I will resolve the situation in time." _That was incredibly cryptic _he thought incredulously. There was no way she'd be satisfied with such a response.

"Artemis, what's wrong? Who's the friend? Butler? Holly?" she paused trying to think of any other friends Artemis might have mentioned but was coming up short. However she didn't need to think of any other names as she noticed at the mention of Holly's name, Artemis had averted his gaze away from her.

"It's Holly? Are you two fighting?" she asked, though there was a hint of a smile in her question.

"Yes, it is Holly and no, we are not fighting." He replied defensively as he popped the button in the collar of his Oxford shirt. "Mum, what do you want to know? Please just say it so I can get back to my work." He hated being so abrupt with his mother. He was not the typical 16 year old to have an outburst toward a parent, or at least he liked to think he wasn't.

"Very well Artemis. Do you have romantic feelings for Holly? Are you two in a relationship?"

Artemis blushed furiously. How could his mother have been so astute? Or was he becoming too easy to read? Unsure what the correct answer was, he said nothing in reply.

"Your face says it all, Artemis. Do you want to tell me what the problem is then?"

"Uhm..well," he was having trouble breathing. "She's kind of not really the same species as I am, Mum." His response was barely above a whisper.

"I can see how that might present some challenges. So does this lucky girl know how you feel towards her?"

"Mother, I am not comfortable having this discussion with you!" Artemis was more surprised by his outburst than Angeline. She just gave him a warm smile.

"Would you prefer to talk to your father?"

"NO! No, thank you, Mum. I don't think involving Father with the details of my relationship with an _elf_ are necessary."

Angeline cocked an eyebrow at him. "So you two are in a relationship?"

"Argh! MUM! Do NOT pry! This is a personal matter."

Angeline laughed at her son. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so flustered. "Okay, Artemis. Just know if you want to talk to me, I'm here. And although she's an elf, I'm sure that there are many _human_ things to your 'relationship' that would apply. Which makes me need to ask, honey, are you two being safe or is that not an issue between an interspecies couple?"

"MOTHER! LEAVE!" he shouted, livid. Artemis had his hand on the door presenting it as if to show her the way out. Fuck manners. Artemis hated when people pried. Especially when asked not to. Especially when they were… right on the mark.

Angeline got up from the chair, laughing. "Okay son. I'll leave you to your privacy." She turned to him, pointing a finger in his face, and with a tone of mock reproach said "I don't expect you to take that tone again with me, young man."

Artemis, still fuming, shut the door behind her although he had every impulse to slam it. Especially as he could hear his mother's peel of laughter descending down the hallway all the way to the downstairs foyer.

Completely flustered from his conversation with his mother, Artemis sat down at his desk in a huff. He booted up his laptop, and was just typing in the password to open his journal when his fairy communicator began to buzz. Artemis had since placed the circuitry for the device into a cell phone shell and boosted the signal. He didn't need any more jibes from Juliet about weary a gaudy ring, especially after she had caught him tweezing his eyebrows.

He clicked open the communicator nervously. It could only be one person. "Hello Holly."

"Hey Arty, you busy right now?"

"Nothing of dire importance. How are you Holly?"

"Oh, fine. I mean, I'm good. You?"

"I am well thank you. May I inquire as to what the reason for your call is?"

"I need a reason?" she paused, only minutely as she was going to tease him. But realized he would turn it into a debate regarding how there is always a purpose to every point of contact even if that purpose is simply casual conversation. Before he could say the words she knew were already formulating, she continued. "No, you're right. I called for a particular reason."

Artemis caught himself before going into a lengthy explanation about how every time someone endeavors to make contact there is a purpose behind it, but stopped short when she had outright admitted she had something specific to talk about. Artemis suddenly thought that she would want to discuss what really did need to be discussed, and he became nervous.

Swallowing hard, Artemis replied "and what might that reason be?"

"Well, as you know, today is Friday."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Continue."

"Yeah, okay so I finally have a free weekend and Trouble- I mean, Commander Kelp… pulled some strings for me. He knows I hate being trapped behind this desk all week and he finagled a weekend surface visa for me."

"Wow Holly. That's great. Was there something in particular you'd like to… do… up here?" Artemis asked with all innocence intended yet it came out sounding like he had a double-meaning to his question.

"Uhh… Actually yeah. I wanted to see if you were busy. And if not, we could like, hang out, or something…"

_Hang out, or something…_Artemis sometimes wondered who the teenager was here. "I can clear my schedule. I'd love to have you as my guest Holly."

"Nice. Okay, so, I'll be there in an hour."

_An hour? Thanks for the real advance notice Holly. _"Very well. I'll have Butler prepare the guest room for you. You are aware my entire family is home, so you will have to make yourself scarce, or we'll need to go somewhere else."

"Yeah I know, that's fine. Don't bother Butler with the guest room business, though. It'll only make your family more suspicious. I'll just bunk with you. See you in a bit then."

The line went dead, and so did his heart. Artemis stared blankly at the communicator. _Did I hear her right? She wants to share… my bedroom?_ Artemis's stomach started doing flips knowing that she was going to be here in an hour's time.

His computer now fully booted up, he activated the security cameras for the manor. His mother had rejoined the rest of the family and they were sitting in the family room, where it appeared the twins were putting on a play for their parents. Butler was still in the kitchen, cleaning. Artemis was about to get up to go notify Butler when a small red blinking light suddenly flashed at the bottom corner of his monitor. This was a new alarm he'd just recently installed. A motion sensor rigged to his bedroom window. He looked at the clock. It had only been 4 minutes and 18 seconds since he hung up with Holly. He spun around on his chair to face the window.

"Goddamn it!" Holly shimmered into visibility.

Artemis was indeed surprised but hid it well. Instead he just laughed quietly at Holly's frustration- yet another failed attempt to sneak up on him.

"What gave me away? I was so quiet! I cut the engine before I even got in here and glided through! A maneuver not easily executed might I add."

Artemis wasn't about to reveal his secret to her. "You are 55 minutes and 42 seconds early." His voice hinted irritation but nonetheless he was thrilled to see her.

Holly unstrapped her wings and put them down against the wall along with a small bag she had brought her personal affects in. Artemis noticed she was not wearing her LEP suit and realized that with the exception of wearing one of his old suits in the past, this was the first time he'd seen her in her own casual clothing. She was wearing dark color jeans with a v-neck dark green t-shirt along with a pair of brown mary jane's. She was …cute. Artemis could feel himself blush and looked away from her before she'd notice.

Holly took in Artemis's appearance. He actually looked a bit slovenly to her. He had actually taken off his suit jacket and had the top two buttons of his shirt undone and his tie rested undone around his shoulders. His hair was a disaster. It looked like he must have been wringing his hands through it. She eyed him skeptically. He looked like a mess. Not only his appearance, which was definitely off from the norm but he had dark circles beneath his eyes like he hadn't slept in days.

"Artemis, you okay?" Her voice layered with concern.

Artemis threw his hands up in the air. "No. Not you too. Look I've had a lot on my mind and everyone's _concern_ isn't actually helping any." Artemis inwardly cringed remembered his discussion with his mother just moments ago.

"All right." Holly held her hands up in mock surrender. "So did you have anything in particular that you were hoping to do this weekend or would you like to hear my suggested agenda?"

Artemis was not about to offer his thoughts on what he hoped was on the agenda for the weekend. "Please, what would you like to do?"

"Well, I was thinking we'd either go to the shore, or go horse-back riding. Or we could always fly to Disneyland." She laughed out loud at the last suggestion. She knew that was the last place Artemis would want to go. "Or I could just tag along on whatever it is you normally do during your weekends."

"Most weekends are spent like my week days and involve being in front of a computer for hours on end. I highly doubt that would be entertaining for you."

"You're right. Okay so I guess tonight we'll just stay holed up in here. But tomorrow, we are definitely doing something outside! I don't care if the air is polluted. I want to breathe it all the same."

Holly kicked off her shoes, and walked over to Artemis, still seated at his desk chair. She was about at eye level with him. She began to run her fingers through his messed up hair, a vain attempt to tidy it up. Artemis closed his eyes and sighed. The simple contact of Holly's touch brought him such happiness. Artemis placed his hands on her hips and opened his mismatched eyes to look directly into Holly's identically mismatched eyes.

"Holly, I've been so worried about you." He finally said.

"Worried? Why?"

Artemis let out a huge sigh. If there was anyone he could truly be entirely comfortable around, it was her. "Holly, I'm afraid that our… _screwing around_… has screwed you over… if you catch my meaning. Holly, aren't you going to get in trouble if someone finds out?"

Holly gave him a warm smile. "Arty, don't you worry about that. _My_ choices are exactly that… mine. And everyone takes chances with the choices they make. They just need to weigh the possible consequences. I just feel like this is…" she sighed too. "…well worth the risk."

"I just don't think it's fair for you to be putting your life-long dream job in jeopardy for a relationship that, well- what can honestly become of us? It's not like I could give you elf children, or, or anything."

"Actually," Holly averted her gaze. "there _have_ been human-elf hybrids before in history. Just not for a long time."

Artemis's expression was some strange mixture of stunned curiosity and horror. "Holly! We… we were unprotected! Why didn't you tell me this …before!"

Holly laughed so hard, she had to clutch her middle. "Oh Arty, I'm not currently fertile, that's why. Elves only ovulate once every 10 years. So, I believe we're safe. For quite some time anyway."

_Once every ten years… _Artemis slowly absorbed the information as his fear started to calm. Then another thought struck him. "Why did you mention that hybrids were possible?"

His question caught Holly off guard- she realized that she had inadvertently revealed she'd gladly have his babies. _D'Arvit._

"I was just mentioning it, since you were the one who brought it up."

The two of them stared into one another, not saying anything. Their relationship had gone from a long comfortable friendship to awkward lovers in such a brief period of time… and now they were talking about children! Artemis wasn't far off from one himself.

"Change of topic." Holly suddenly announced. "What are you writing now?" She peered over Artemis's shoulder to his laptop monitor. He had (just seconds ago) closed out the security program. Forgetting that he had set his preferences to automatically launch his journal document, it now stood open for anyone to see. Artemis spun toward his computer and scrambled to close it before Holly saw it.

"It's nothing!"

"Ahh! What are you hiding? Let me see!" Holly crawled up onto Artemis's lap and stilled his arm in an attempt to keep him from closing out whatever it was he didn't want her to see.

"Holly, stop it! You're acting childish." He grabbed at her wrist with his free hand, closing the program with the other. Still resisting him, he took her other wrist in the same hand. His long fingers had no difficulty at all wrapping around both of her tiny wrists.

"Ooh, you think you can restrain me? I'd like to see you try." Holly taunted.

Artemis gave her a wicked grin just as Butler opened the door.

Butler blinked, trying to make sense of in the sight before him. Artemis sat in his leather desk chair, with Holly straddled over his lap as he restrained both her arms with one hand. They were both smiling as he walked in the door but as soon as they realized he was there, their expressions turned to shock and embarrassment. Both of them were frozen in place.

Butler yanked the door halfway closed, and spoke ludicrously fast from behind it. "I'm sorry Artemis. I was unaware you had company. I saw that the window alarm was set off moments ago, so I thought I should see if everything was all right… Hello Holly" he added.

Holly turned to Artemis, her expression one of surprise. "Window Alarm!" she mouthed, and slipped a hand free from Artemis's grip to playfully punch him in the arm. Artemis just laughed.

"Oh no, my secret's out." He said, laughing.

Butler smiled behind the door. Artemis was carefree and laughing. A welcome change to his mood. "Holly, how long will you be staying?"

"I've got the whole weekend! I'm afraid you're stuck with me for the next two days." Holly was beaming at Artemis.

"How nice. Shall I go prepare the guest room, then?"

"No." Both Holly and Artemis replied in unison. Butler coughed, half choking at the response.

"Very well. Let me know if you need… anything." Butler developed a smug smile as he closed the door. He knew he would have some free time for a while.

Artemis and Holly turned their attention back to each other. Suddenly, Holly planted a kiss full on Artemis's lips. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Artemis! You know, I actually missed you!"

Artemis let out a sigh of relief and hugged Holly back around her waist. "I missed you too."

He held her there, cuddled tightly in his chest. For awhile they just listened to each other breathe in the private silence. It felt like the two of them were the only people in the world.

Artemis broke the silence first. "So you're really planning on bunking with me tonight?"

"I should have asked. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course. I mean, if that's what you'd prefer." It was definitely what _he_ preferred…

"It is." She looked at him briefly, then returned her attention to his mouth. Her kiss was far more passionate than previously. She felt Artemis's grip around her waist tighten as he crushed her against his chest. Holly's tongue flicked at his bottom lip, requesting entry. Artemis, granting her access, found her tongue dancing with his in his mouth. Artemis moaned and grabbed Holly by the hips. He pushed her small body firmly down against him. Holly gasped as she felt his throbbing erection beneath her body.

She looked back at him with a bemused smile. "That didn't take much."

"What did you expect? I'm sixteen." He placed his hand back on her cheek to guide her face back to his.

"19!" She insisted, "I'm no cradle robber!"

He chuckled, this time taking her bottom lip between his lips and sucked on it gently. He moved his mouth down the side of her jaw line and onwards to her neck.

"You trying to start something with me, Mud Man?" she said, her voice taking on a husky quality.

"I believe you were the one who started it, Fairy." He whispered against her neck.

The soft brush of his breath against her neck made her shudder. Her longing for him began to take over her bodily movements, as she began thrusting herself against his now rock hard member, straining in his pants.

"God, Holly, what are you doing to me?" Artemis moaned against her neck as she continued slamming herself into his groin.

"Artemis, ever since that last time, I've wanted you… I need you. Please, Arty." She panted and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Good lord, Holly. I haven't thought of anything else all week!"

Holly pushed his shirt back over his shoulders and Artemis grabbed his sleeves, pulling it off. Once he'd freed his arms, he tossed the shirt and his hands found their way back to Holly's waist. Where his shirt landed he frankly did not care. He tugged at the bottom hemline of Holly's tight t-shirt. Holly closed her eyes, and lifted her arms above her head so he could pull it off of her. It too, was flung without care.

After releasing her from her top, Artemis leaned back to look at his partner. He was pleased to find her wearing a tiny black lace bra, as opposed to that damned one piece body suit. He ran his hands over her covered breasts, and felt her pert nipples harden instantly. Holly arched her back, lengthening the line from her navel to her collarbone. She looked absolutely exquisite to him.

"Please, Arty. I want you to touch me." Her eyes were heavy lidded, and she could feel her panties becoming increasingly damp.

Artemis slid his hands up her smooth back in a painfully slow motion. He found the clasp of her bra, and in a single, swift movement, unclasped it. It fell limply to his lap. Holly whipped her head forward, her eyes widened in surprise. She figured he'd have some difficulty with the clasp.

"Have you been practicing that?" She eyed him suspiciously.

Artemis cocked an eyebrow. "You acknowledge my genius, yet you doubt my ability to work a simple hook and eye clasp? Please give me some credit." In reality, he had stolen one of his mother's brassieres for just such practice, though he would never confess it.

Holly said nothing as she leaned forward, making her mouth quite occupied at the dip behind his ear. Artemis could feel her smiling against his skin.

He moved his hands over her freed breasts, tracing the circle of her nipples. Using his index fingers and thumbs, he gently pinched them causing Holly to take a sharp breath. She threw her head back again- and arching her back further, pressed her breasts firmly into his warm hands.

"Fuck! Artemis that feels so good." She was already out of breath.

Artemis's eyes almost popped out when he heard her curse. He was familiar with her foul-mouthed expressions in Gnommish but never in English. It was… incredibly hot.

He lowered his mouth to her right nipple, filling his mouth with it. His tongue darted at her peak. Holly's lustful moans became louder and louder but Artemis did nothing to quiet her. He didn't care if anyone heard. Only Butler was upstairs anyway, and Artemis knew he probably had an idea of what was happening in his room. He found her moans so erotic, he couldn't force himself to shush her.

"Christ, Holly. Take your pants off." He had already started unbuttoning her jeans, but Holly would have to lift herself out of them. She eagerly complied, and bracing her arms on his shoulders, she climbed up him, placing a small bare foot on each padded armrest of the office chair. She raised one leg at a time as Artemis pulled the jeans down her slim legs. Only wearing a pair of shockingly thin black panties, Holly stood up straight on the chair's armrests. Her mound was eye level with Artemis in this position. He could see right through this garment, and the sight goaded him on.

Artemis instantly hooked his thumbs around the fabric of her panties at her hips and dragged them down to her ankles. Again Holly used Artemis's shoulder's to balance herself while she raised one leg at a time to kick off her panties. Artemis wasted no time, gripping her bare ass in his hands and pressed his lips against her dripping bud. Holly let out a scream of complete ecstasy, tangling her hands into his hair.

He licked the entire length of her slit as she balanced herself above him. He ran his tongue up the left side of her folds and down the right, repeating the circuit over and over until her whole body began to shine with sweat. Only then did he dare to probe her wet entrance. Shallow at first, just tasting. But then, with her knees shaking against his arms, he increased his ferocity, sliding his tongue inside deeply, and darting back out to lick her now very swollen clit.

Artemis tested different combinations of stimulation, lingering on each for several panting, delicious minutes. Soon he had explored every minute detail of her most sensitive skin, her folds thoroughly drenched in his saliva and her own arousal.

"D'Arvit, Artemis, don't stop!" Holly screamed. She was so close to her release. Her juices were dripping off his chin, and formed a long line down his smooth chest. Artemis continued to flick his tongue against her clit until he felt her entire body tense. He kept a firm grip on her hips to hold her steady as her whole body began to tremble as she came. Her legs no longer held, and she collapsed onto his chest, panting hard.

Finally catching her breath, she managed to speak. "Dear Frond, Arty, where did _that_ come from?"

Artemis grinned, just pleased that he had pleased her. He wiped his face on his forearm.

Collecting herself, she managed to look back up at him. His smile was warm and one of love, though she could feel his unsatisfied need throbbing beneath her crotch. Her eyes still heavy lidded, she returned the smile. "Are you going to let me return the favor?" Her tone was extremely seductive to him.

As much as he fought himself from immediately accepting the invitation, he was tempted. Though, he knew it might not be as easy a task for her to perform as it was for him on her.

"Holly, you don't need to do anything you don't want to. It's fine."

Holly gave him a skeptical look. She knew he was trying to hide his actual desire in some kind of act of gentlemanliness. "Go lay on the bed. Finish stripping on the way." She said in a commanding tone. "Now."

Artemis stared back, partly stunned, but extremely aroused. Needless to say, the latter of the emotions won and took control of his body. He gently lifted Holly off his lap and put her down, never leaving her gaze. Getting up himself, he backed up to the side of his bed while shedding the remainder of his clothing. He climbed on, but something caught his eye, and he couldn't help but laugh when he noticed Holly's shirt had somehow managed to get hooked right on top of one of the back posts of the four-poster. As he moved towards the middle, Holly hopped on the large bed. She crawled up between his legs and looked up at him. She bit her bottom lip. She wasn't exactly sure how to do this, but she was certainly going to try her damndest.

Meanwhile, Artemis was ready to pass out. Fellatio was probably at the top of his list of fantasies. He had written it off as impossible. But Holly took his member in both of her small hands and began to stroke his full length. She was shocked by just how hard he had become and realized it was probably at the point of painful. She lowered her mouth to his tip, paused, and lightly licked off the small amount of fluid pooling there.

"God, Holly, that feels… " was all he could choke out. His hands fisted in the bedspread.

She slid her small tongue around the base of his cock, squeezing the shaft with her fist. She thoroughly enjoyed the sounds he made, barely audible now. Her tongue explored his length, there being so much to learn. She noted the places he gasped, throbbed, or bucked his hips. She couldn't believe she was the one doing this to him.

Holly licked her lips, and took a deep breath to gather her courage. She plunged her mouth over him, taking in as much as she possibly could. She swirled her tongue around his head while bobbing her head up and down. He was barely breathing. She used her hands to stroke what she couldn't fit and felt him began to shudder.

Again and again she brought his length into her mouth, awed by it's girth. She swallowed hard against his tip when it reached the back of her throat. He actually shook at the sensation.

"Holly, I'm going to come." It was a warning more than anything else. _Always the gentleman_.

"Then come, Artemis. Come in my mouth." she spoke quickly before returning to her ministrations.

_When did she become such a temptress?_ He thought briefly before he felt his release overcome him.

"Shit, Holly!" He grunted as he shot his hot release into the back of her throat.

Holly was more surprised to hear Artemis cuss than to have his cum in her mouth. Still, she managed to swallow quickly enough as each wave of his orgasm sent more and more.

She slowly pulled him from her mouth and looked up at him. He was looking back at her with dumb amazement. Holly smirked at his expression.

"Well that was fun, huh?" She said while crawling up him. He took her in his arms in a loving embrace.

"Very much so."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Sorry if you felt that Artemis's swearing was to OoC. I felt it necessary for the scene. And hot. LOL.**


	3. The Morning After

**A/N: 10 reviews on Chapter 2 means chapter 3 is now up! Also, I'm home sick in bed and don't really have much else to do. :P **

**This is honestly one of my favorite chapters in the story. I hope you all like it just as much as I do.**

**Thank you to all who have favorite'd this story and me as an author. A huge thank you goes out to those of you who are reviewing. Thanks once again to my husband for being my editor… the grammar would be miles worse without him. **

**Disclaimer: Once again, Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl (damn). No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Holly stirred as the morning light began to filter in through the window.

She hadn't slept very well. She was normally a restless sleeper, but being in a different bed from her own made it worse. Artemis had unconsciously taken all of the blanket and most of the sheets. Besides, she had some very strange dreams. From what she could remember, her dream involved her and Artemis at the partnering ceremony in Haven. Commander Julius Root was performing the rights, and Trouble Kelp sat in attendance, weeping bitterly.

Holly sat up, slipping the thin, expensive sheets from her body. She had to shake the sleep from her head. Once her eyes came into focus, she couldn't believe what they saw. At the foot of the bed, staring back at her were two identical sets of piercing blue eyes. The twins sat cross-legged on top of the covers and looked directly at Holly. Both boys were raven-haired like Artemis, though their hair was not as straight. They seemed to have a bit more wave to their hair, like their mother. They were both very curious about her.

Holly was momentarily stunned. The suddenly cool air against her skin restarted her brain- and it caused her to grab the covers to cover as much of her very nude body as she could. She violently elbowed Artemis in the side in an attempt to wake him.

Artemis was out cold on his stomach. He slept like a stone. Holly nudged at him a few more times.

"_Artemis! Wake Up_!" Her voice was a hysterical whisper.

A low groan escaped from his motionless form. "Morsleepleazthankyou" he managed to mumble into his pillow.

"Artemis!" Holly cried again, elbowing hard enough to hurt him.

"Ow! Jesus, Holly. I'm awake,_ goddamn_." He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Holly who had barely covered herself with the sheets. She was looking toward the end of the bed. Her expression was one of panic.

"What?" He said at her while he turned his eyes, still blurry, toward the direction she was looking. Then he saw the reason for her alarm.

"Boys! How did you get in here? I thought I locked the door!" Artemis yelled, quite annoyed.

"Who are you?" Myles said, never looking away from Holly.

Artemis's face scrunched together as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out another groan.

"How come you get to sleep with Arty?" asked Beckett. "He never lets us sleep with him" Myles whined, in a voice so eerily similar, it could have been the same person.

Artemis looked at Holly apologetically and sighed. "Holly, these are my brothers, Myles and Beckett." He pointed to each boy as he introduced them. "Boys, this is Holly."

"Hi, Holly." they said in perfect unison.

"Hi." Holly faintly replied. Somewhere in the back of her head she wondered how Artemis could tell them apart…

"Arty, how come Mum doesn't yell at you for not cleaning up? She always yells at us if we don't pick up our clothes." Beckett observed as he looked around the room. Both Artemis and Holly's clothes laid strewn about, including Holly's shirt, still hanging from the back post. Myles held up some black, thin lacey thing as evidence.

Artemis shut his eyes and started rubbing his temples. Now he was severely annoyed. "Boys?" he said with his eyes still shut.

"Yes?" both boys replied.

Artemis flashed his hand out, tearing Holly's panties from his little brother's grasp. Opening his eyes, he shot them a death glare. "GET _OUT!_ NOW!"

Both boys startled, their blue eyes almost popping out. Artemis never yelled at them. Even Holly was taken aback by his tone. The boys quickly jumped off the bed and scurried out of the room. Artemis turned back to Holly who was still looking embarrassed, maybe even more so.

Butler was walking down the hallway, towards Artemis' room, when he heard Artemis angry bellowing. He saw the door fly open and the twins shot out and down the stairs.

He tried hard not to laugh since it would mean him having to explain Holly to everyone now, but still he thought, _of all the people to catch him..._

"I think I liked it better when I was an only child" Artemis mused to himself. "Sorry about that. At least you've met my brothers." Artemis sank his face into his hands. Holly could barely hear him grumble "I am _so_ going to get it now".

Butler stopped in the hallway just before the doorway of the bedroom. He stayed out of view and spoke quietly to Artemis.

"Would you like me to close the door, Artemis?"

"Please." Artemis growled, still annoyed.

Once the door was shut, Holly turned to Artemis. "So those are your brothers. I'm glad to meet them, though I would have preferred… under different circumstances."

"I'm so sorry. We should probably get up." Artemis crawled out of bed and grabbed his robe from the closet. "I'm going to use the bath down the hall. Please go ahead." he waved an arm (much too formally) towards his en-suite bathroom. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom closet."

"'Kay, thanks." Holly slid off the bed and danced towards the bathroom. As she reached the door she glanced over her shoulder at lingering Artemis. He was ogling her bare ass, again. She scowled at him. "Stop staring!" she said as she shut the door.

"Sorry" Artemis mumbled. Better to apologized as he knew a denial would be an obvious lie. He couldn't tell if she was actually mad. He reluctantly slipped out the door and down the hall.

Holly had been in his bathroom before, but never to really use it. Nothing was 'elf' sized. She needed to climb up onto the toilet, and venture onto the vanity top in order to use the sink and mirror. Holly went to the linen closet where Artemis said the towels were. She noticed they were up too high on a shelf. She looked around, hoping to see something she could use to hook one down for herself, when she noticed a very feminine dressing table beside the closet. There were no cosmetics on it, and she imagined it must still be in this room from it's previous Fowl resident, most likely female. Artemis Senior had three sisters.

She grabbed the chair from the vanity, to stand on it to reach the towels. She grabbed one then climbed back down. Then, curiosity got the best of her. She opened the drawer of vanity. There were a few normal things you'd expect everyone to have in their bathroom. Cotton swabs and cotton balls. A box of tissues. She continued to rummage through. Medicated eye drops. _Not that weird_, she thought. Then she saw something to make her laugh out loud. A pair of tweezers. _I knew it... _she thought. She'd always suspected he plucked his eyebrows, though she could never come right out and ask him.

She went over to the double-wide shower stall. It was granite marble tiled all round and had six shower heads. She looked at it a little confused. Aside from the large head that was aimed directly down, she didn't think the other jets would strike her body at her height. Holly frowned but then remembered the tub behind her. She had admired it the last time she was in here. It was a giant, claw-foot style but it was obviously a newer model despite it's old-world look. It was completely rigged with jacuzzi jets and would be large enough to be a small pool for her. She poked around at it, trying to find out how it worked. She started by filling the tub, adding a squirt of soap for good measure, and began to dig around the rest of his bathroom. Under his sink were scented bath salts. Holly giggled that Artemis kept all this stuff on hand. He really was a spoiled rich kid. Still, she was happy he had it and dumped a handful into the tub. It started to dissolve and instantly and the entire bathroom began to smell of lavender. Holly lifted herself over the ledge, and plunged into the warm water.

"Woooo" Holly moaned. "That's nice."

Now just to figure out how the jets worked. She looked at the modern controls but they were a bit confusing. Different massage patterns, time settings, energy saving settings... She wasn't sure if she'd mess something up if just started randomly pressing buttons.

"Holly?" Artemis called out to her from behind the door.

Holly instinctively gasped and clutched her chest. "D'Arvit! Arty, you scared the crap out of me!"

Artemis smiled. _I was able to scare her without even trying_ he thought to himself, thinking of all Holly's failed attempts to spook him, mostly by sneaking into his window at night while shielded. "Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Umm... actually, yeah. Can you show me how to work this?"

"Can I come in?"

Holly rolled her eyes. "Yes, obviously. I asked you to _show _me, dummy."

Artemis opened the door to the bathroom. His eyes were, ridiculously, closed. When he opened one eye, he found Holly looking very small in the giant tub. She looked up at him with wide eyes. He was wearing his robe still but his hair was wet now and not combed. He probably just came out of the shower. She had never seen him so… natural. She gave him a mock pout. "I can't get the jets on."

"You're taking a bath?" He smiled at her. "Why didn't you use the shower?"

"It's not exactly set up for someone three feet tall. Besides, I always thought this tub looked awesome."

"Oh." Artemis managed. He almost never used the tub. But now, with her in it, and her caramel skin barely hidden by a thin veil of bubbles… it was suddenly a lot more attractive. He inhaled quickly trying to retain his focus. He leaned over the tub to activate the jets. They came thundering on, and the water instantly began to froth.

"Woooo" Holly giggled and sunk down until her earlobes were touching the water. She beamed a smile up at Artemis. He gave her a dirty smirk in return.

"What?" She asked, puzzled by his expression.

"You feel like having company?"

Holly giggled. _Sheesh, what's wrong with me, GIGGLING. You'd think I was 45 again _she thought to herself. "Sure." Holly curled her legs up against herself and scooted to the back edge of the tub to make room.

Artemis dropped his robe and crawled into the tub, facing towards her. The water level rose as he sat down and Holly had to sit up more in order to not be completely engulfed.

Artemis chuckled. "You want me to drain some of the water?"

"Yeah, maybe" She seemed a little embarrassed.

Artemis reached over to the drain valve release and flicked it open for a few seconds before closing it back up.

They just sat and stared at one another for a long while. Artemis finally decided to speak up.

"So, I can _smell_ that you found my salts" he smirked at her. He wondered what her opinion of that was.

She gave a devilish grin in return. "Oh, that's not _all_ I found."

"What?" Artemis looked puzzled. What else was there?

Holly closed her index finger and thumb together while making a motion like she was pinching her eyebrow. Then she pretended to pluck out a hair with her make-believe tweezers.

Artemis flushed red and Holly knew it wasn't from the hot water. "You know," he started in a quick, defensive tone, "eyebrows are the frame to the eyes which are the focal point of the face. I tried to explain that to Juliet but I think the logic was above her."

Holly let out a shimmering peel of laughter. "Oh gods, Juliet knows? That's too rich." She barely managed to say through her fits of laughter.

"Why does everyone enjoy teasing me so much?" he barked at her, scowling.

"Oh, I'm sorry Arty," she squeaked out from between her giggles. "It's just that, you're such an open target. And you're so cute when you're mad."

"Cute?" he said incredulously. Artemis did not enjoy being referred to as 'cute'. "You're going to pay for that Holly." he said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Oooh... what 'cha gonna do?" she goaded.

"Don't push me Fairy!" he shot back at her.

Holly started splashing him, squealing with laughter.

"That's it! Now you're going to get it!" He splashed her back except he managed to completely drench her and spill even more water on to the floor.

Holly stopped splashing as she wiped the water out of her eyes and pushed her now soaked hair back from her face. She gave him a playful scowl. "That... was mean."

Artemis was about to apologize, when she gave him a purely wicked grin and launched herself at him, grabbing his hair and plunging his face below the water.

Artemis emerged choking and blinked the water from his eyes. He gave her a livid glare. Holly was afraid she pushed it too far. He ran both hands over his hair to push it away from his face. "Holly..." he said in a dangerously low voice. "Need I remind you, I am nearly twice your size." he sounded threatening.

"I can still take you." she replied very smug.

Artemis looked absolutely fierce. "Try." He flew over to her, pinning her shoulders to the edge of the tub. She pushed back against his slippery chest trying to keep him away from her but she was laughing so hard, her mirth was sapping her strength. Artemis seized both of her wrists and held her back. She tried fruitlessly to swat at him with her wrists restrained but he just pulled her arms up and away. Her soapy peaks emerged from the water. With her arms incapacitated, she had to resort to squirming and kicking. She started flailing against him. Her feet found his knees and she tried to push against them. Artemis could feel how strong her small legs were, and he knew she might even win this little wrestling match if he couldn't pin her. He thrust his pelvis against her. Holly stopped laughing and gasped. The bubbly foam of the water may have hid it, but she knew what she felt.

Her shocked expression turned into a smug grin. "You just can't get enough of me, can you?"

"Of you, Holly? No, I'm insatiable." He gave her a damp version of his vampire smile.

In a single, swift movement, he released her right arm and put his hand against her cheek. He kissed her passionately but kept his restrain on her other arm. Holly took in his bottom lip and began to suck on it gently. Then, very suddenly, she used her free hand to pinch his left nipple while simultaneously biting down hard on his lip.

Artemis pushed away from her quickly. "Christ! Holly, what the hell!" He used the hand he had previously placed on her face to rub his lip. He looked at her quizzically, wondering if maybe he was being too forceful for her. But she just continued to smile at him wickedly.

"You should have thought twice before freeing one of my hands. Rookie mistake." she laughed low, almost maniacally as she voluntarily put her wrist back into his hand. She closed her eyes partially and slowly ran her tongue over her top lip, looking wonderfully seductive. The water wasn't hiding as much of her now, and it was getting hard not to notice. Very hard…

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You are a little tiger! What is it, Holly? You like it rough?" He held her hand up and away from him, mostly to protect himself rather than overpower her. Her eyes widened with excitement. She ground her hips against him, teasing his erection further.

"I love it rough. You think you're man enough?" she taunted.

His grip on her wrists became so tight she was starting to lose circulation. He emitted a low growl from the back of his throat as he eyed her.

_Fuck, that's hot. _Holly thought. She opened her legs wider. Instead of using her feet to push against his knees, she wrapped her legs around his, placing her heels against the back of knees. Using her inner thigh muscles and heels, she pulled him towards her while lifting her hips.

Artemis pushed her arms over her head and took both of her tiny wrists into his left hand. He splashed his trembling right hand under the surface to align his throbbing member at her entrance. Holly felt him there and started panting. She pushed her hips more towards him, eager for some penetration.

"Is this what you want, Holly?" He stared at her with predatory eyes.

Holly was so impatiently aroused she couldn't even formulate words. She just nodded as she panted.

Artemis grinned at her reaction. He was in control now. He moved his face just inches from hers. "Beg." he ordered.

_Shit, where did Dominating Artemis come from? Did he seriously just say that?_ Holly didn't dwell on it, but obliged. Sometimes, submitting is fun. In the back of her head, though, she was calculating how to get him back for this.

"Please." she begged.

"Please, what?" he commanded.

"Please, Artemis. I need you." _Oh he's going to pay for this…_

"What do you need? Tell me." he voice was dangerously low.

She took heaving breaths. "Fuck! Artemis! Fuck me!" she screamed, a little too loudly.

"If I let go of your arms, are you going to fight me again?"

She shook her head side to side.

"You promise?"

She nodded her head up and down.

"Good girl." As he released her wrists, she gripped the slick edge of the tub behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders, and pushed down against them while thrusting into her, completely sheathing himself within her in one movement.

"Ahh!" Holly gasped. It was a mix of pleasure and pain. He wasn't gentle at all with her and she hadn't had him inside her in over a week. She was still too tight but the hot water was helping her relax more quickly. The pain was minimal when compared to her ecstasy. She loved this roughness. _Pure lust... pure and all mine…_

"Holly?" he asked her, trying to keep his voice very controlled.

"Huh?" she huffed. Her eyes almost closed, they were so heavy lidded.

"I'm going to fuck you now." He said it in a matter-of-fact way.

_Frond! _she thought. Her eyes grew wide. She _never_ thought she'd hear that word come out of his mouth. Dirty talking Artemis almost made her come right then and there.

He pushed her ass against the tub's wall. He started to move in and out of her at a slow pace. Holly threw her head back in euphoria. Her hands now at her disposal, she grabbed him around his dripping neck and pulled him down to her. She tilted her head to the side, indicating to him that she wanted him to kiss her neck. Artemis put his lips on the crook of her neck and began to place open mouthed kisses on her gently. Holly writhed against him but he did nothing to speed up or deepen any further.

"Artemis! Please... more. Harder." she cried.

He obliged. She did say please after all. He drilled into her harder and faster. The water became the loudest sound in the room, sloshing and pouring over the sides in cascades. His gentle kisses on her neck turned into sucking and nipping at her flesh.

Her fingers wound through his soaked locks and pulled his hair as she fisted her fingers together. "Harder!"

He bored himself into her as hard as he could though he was honestly starting to think he might hurt her. Her walls tightened around him and he knew she was close.

"Almost..." She panted. "I'm almost there. Oh fuck!" she screamed and bucked her hips in opposite rhythm with his movements.

Artemis dunked his left hand under the water searching for her throbbing clit against his groin. He used his thumb to rub circles over it while he continued thrusting his cock into her.

His touch shot her right over the edge. "Artemis! I'm going to come!" she shouted.

Artemis loved hearing her scream his name out in ecstasy. She clamped down on his member as her orgasm hit her. The intense pressure of her walls on him with her screaming was making him dizzy, even high. He stabbed into her a few more times, hard, and saw Holly wince. The oddest sensation formed at the tip of his member. It was absolutely spectacular. It drove him to his climax and his hot release shot deep into her.

He dropped his head forward, completely out of breath. Under the water, he thought he saw a few blue sparks shimmer up Holly's body and disappear at her navel. He looked back at her in shock.

"God, Holly. Did I hurt you?"

She managed to huff out a small laugh. "Only for half a second, and it was totally worth it."

Artemis looked at her with real concern. Still, he couldn't past how the sparks felt as they touched his sensitive head.

Holly leaned forward to kiss him. "If I'm going to have this much fun all weekend, I might never leave." she teased.

"That would be fine with me." he whispered against her lips. "Holly?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Holly felt like she was going to melt. "Oh Arty, I love you too. So much."

They held each other for a while, but then noticed it was getting far too cool. The jets gargled uselessly around them, and the water was only a few inches from the bottom of the tub. Peering disdainfully over the side, he saw there was at least two inches of water covering the entire bathroom floor.

Artemis looked down at her face and gave her the warmest smile. "Butler is going to need a mop"

**Chapter Notes: Once again, if you liked, please review! I love the feedback!**


	4. Introductions

**A/N: Here it is! Chapter 4... the first lemon-free chapter. Don't worry, I make it up to you in Chapter 5. ;) As always, many thanks to those who continue to leave reviews. You have no idea how much it warms my heart to see all the positive comments you are all leaving. :D I would never put myself on par with Kitsune Heart though I'm flattered that such an impossibility was suggested. She has been a true inspiration to me in my writing and will forever be the queen of AF fanfiction writing, especially that of the M-rated variety.**

**Once again, the next chapter will go up once this one receives 10 reviews. Therefore, PLEASE REVIEW! k, thx. **

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns all rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

Artemis helped Holly out of the tub, and released the drain valve.

Not that there was much left to drain. Artemis pulled all the towels from the closet, and saving two for themselves, spread the other six on the floor, to join his soaked robe. Holly wrapped herself in a towel and headed into the bedroom while Artemis tried to dam the soapy tide.

Holly rummaged through her bag, finding the outfit she wanted to wear for the day. A white button-down blouse with short sleeves, and a knee-length denim skirt. Artemis disappeared into his closet. She dug deeper into the bag to find her white satin bra and panties. She hiked her panties up and clasped her bra into place. She looked back towards the closet to see if he was covertly watching her.

Artemis actually wasn't watching her dress. He was trying desperately to focus on the task of dressing himself _without_ getting aroused again. He had managed to get on a pair of black boxers and had one of his many white Oxford shirts, already on but still unbuttoned. He heard Holly's exasperated sigh and he turned to look at her.

"Artemis, seriously... it's the weekend. Do you even own normal clothes?" she chastised him as she pulled up her tiny denim skirt. She zipped up the fly and fastened the button right below her navel. She put her hands on her hips and gave Artemis a glare.

Artemis was now looking dumbly at Holly, who had yet to put on her blouse. Without any pause, he shrugged his shirt back off. "Well, what would _you_ have me wear?"

Holly brushed past him, pushing against his hip to move him out of the way. She rifled through his wardrobe, then his drawers. "Man, you sure have a limited selection... here. Wear this." She held up a navy blue Ralph Lauren Polo and a pair of khaki slacks. She shoved them at him and walked back over to pick up her blouse. She scowled at him while buttoning her shirt, making sure he wouldn't defy her.

Artemis just blinked in shocked. He looked down at the pile of clothes in his arms, and started to come out of his stupor. He threw the shirt on the bed while he pulled on the slacks. Holly was digging in her bag again, hunting down her tooth brush. As he pulled his shirt over his head, he heard Holly in the bathroom. She was dragging the chair across the damp floor, from the vanity over to the sink to brush her teeth. Artemis smiled. She was shorter than his 4 year old brothers.

Fully dressed now, Artemis appeared behind her in the mirror's reflection. She was actually at eye level with him while she stood on the chair, sawing away with the little brush. He placed his hands on either side of her head as he kissed her hair, softly.

"Holly, please wait here a minute. I'll bring breakfast up here. I'm sure my parents are still eating. What you like me to bring you, love?"

Holly flushed. She thought it was odd that'd she would blush at a simple term of endearment, especially after everything they'd just... and all the… well. It really was something small considering. "I don't know, maybe some fruit? And toast, or some kind of bread?"

"Sure. I'll be right back." He pecked her on the cheek and disappeared, closing the bedroom door behind him. Holly couldn't stop smiling like an idiot at the mirror.

Artemis ventured down stairs to the opulent kitchen. His entire family was there, in the adjoining breakfast room, including Butler. The twins chattered nonsense to one another under the table, but all three adults were eerily silent. He strolled to the marble counter, attempting nonchalance, and selected a few croissants when Butler spoke up.

"Nice outfit." he said, smirking.

"What? It's the weekend. I don't have to wear a suit _every_day." Artemis said defensively. But, he realized he was still trying to convince himself too.

"No, of course not." Butler drifted from the room, smiling. He glanced at the Fowls and nodded.

Artemis knew this wasn't good. Butler was giving him 'space' with his family. _Traitor!_ Immediately his heart rate galloped, and he could feel a look of panic seize his face.

"Artemis." His father started in a firm tone. "Please, sit with us."

_Oh God, no..._ Artemis knew he was going to get 'the talk'. He forgot all about the croissants.

"The boys tell me you have a guest." Artemis Senior continued. It came out more like a question than a statement, like he was daring him to deny it. "A… _female_ guest?"

"Y-Yes?" Artemis Junior replied nervously, his face still a panicked caricature.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" his father queried.

Artemis head lolled towards his mother with a pleading look. But it was obvious there would be no mercy extended from her. Her expression was just as unreadable. He swallowed hard and could feel himself turn betraying colors.

"Well, it's… my friend, Holly." He glanced at his mother again for help. She knew Holly was an elf, although she'd never met her in person. However, his father had no idea. Certainly he had no knowledge of Artemis's dealings with The People. How on earth could he explain Holly to him without telling him everything?

"I think we'd both like to meet her, dear." Angeline said.

Artemis shifted uncomfortably under his parents' gaze. "Sure." he said hesitantly. "Mum, can you… carefully… explain some things, while I go get her?"

"Of course, dear." Angeline smiled. She turned to her husband and very factually stated, point blank "Holly is an elf."

Artemis watched, stunned in horror as his father looked at his wife quizzically then over to his son who appeared to be terror struck. "An elf?" he said incredulously. He _was_ beginning to feel pride for his son's conquest, but this was not quite what he expected… _My, what the kids are into these days,_ he thought.

Artemis managed to nod, his head loose on his rigid shoulders. He felt as if he might- no, now he _was_ beginning to hyperventilate.

"Well, let's meet this elf woman." Artemis Senior laughed and motioned for his son to go and fetch her.

Artemis, dizzy with panic, practically ran out of the kitchen. He passed Butler in the foyer, who couldn't help but laugh quietly at Artemis's expense. Artemis glared back at him.

"Why couldn't you keep those half-pint heathens out of my room! _You knew_ she was here!" he hissed at him.

"Oh, don't blame your brothers entirely, Artemis." He whispered between chuckles. "If you mean to be discreet, you might try to keep your voices down. Hers, at least! We could hear it all the way down in the dining room." His chuckles turned more into guffaws.

If it was possible, Artemis turned even redder. "Goddamn it." he cursed under his breath as he marched up the stairs to his room.

He did his best to compose himself before entering his bedroom. There wasn't any reason for Holly to be _more_ nervous about meeting his parents. When he felt that his color had mostly returned to natural, he turned the knob to enter. Holly was sitting on his bed, reading one of his books, one of the books he wrote. She looked up and smiled at him. _Peace_, he thought.

"Your books are cheesy, you know." she laughed. "Still, I love reading them."

He smiled back. "I wrote that one when I was ten. I should hope that my more recent work won't be as 'cheesy'".

"Hey, where's breakfast?" She said, noticing he was empty-handed.

"Well, my parents… would like to meet you. I told them that I'd introduce you… properly." he explained, embarrassed.

"Really? I get to meet your mom and dad?" She was actually excited. It's not every day an elf can pretend they belong in the surface world, surrounded by humans.

"Yes. Would you please come with me?" He couldn't even look at her anymore. He knew the instant he did he would blush furiously.

"Hell yes!" She jumped off the bed, throwing her arm around his waist, and walked beside Artemis out to the hall and down the steps. They passed Butler in the front foyer.

"Morning, Holly." Butler said, with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Butler" she said with all sincerity... and ignorance.

Artemis looked over his shoulder at Butler. He mouthed to him without any volume "Please mop my bathroom." He knew Butler would understand. And he certainly did, because Butler threw his hand over his mouth to keep from busting out laughing.

Artemis paced what felt like a death march toward the kitchen, with Holly at his side. She searched his face, puzzled by his expression. Suddenly Holly began to worry. What on earth would they think of Artemis's involvement with a mythical creature? Angeline knew of course, but what of Artemis Senior? How would he react? He looked down at her and noticed her expression had turned from eager to anxious. He took her small hand, and clasped his other hand on top of it.

"Don't worry. They'll like you just fine. I'm the one that's in trouble." he tried his best to smile.

Still holding her hand, they walked into the vantage point of his parents. Artemis heart stopped beating as both of his parents, still seated, dropped their gaze down, in unison. Angeline's expression was a warm one. She had been dying to meet Holly in person. She knew this small woman was responsible for saving not only Artemis's life (on several occasions) but even her own. Her husband was in her debt as well, though he didn't know that. As she took in the sight of Holly holding Artemis's hand, she was simply beaming.

Artemis Senior… was a different story. His expression went from one of polite amusement to confusion. When Artemis walked in with the child sized girl, he initially thought his family was trying to pull something. Pulling a prank, on dear old dad! But then, he noticed this little girl was no little girl at all. Her slight figure was one of a fully developed woman, devoid of youthful paunch, an adult. She was handsome indeed. Then, all he could see was her sharp ears, peeking out from under her short red hair.

"An elf? Really?" He looked back and forth between his wife and son. They both just nodded. Holly's blush was faintly visible beneath her copper colored skin.

"Oh Holly dear, come here!" Angeline beckoned.

Surprised, Holly stumbled towards Angeline. She was even more stunned when Angeline bent down to hug her tightly. "Oh sweetie, it's so good to meet you officially." she sighed.

"Hello, um, Madam Fowl." Holly wasn't sure how she was supposed to address his parents.

"Oh please, call me Angeline." She released her and continued to beam her warm smile at Holly.

Holly's breath hitched. "Um, Thank you, Angeline." She forced a smile in return.

Artemis Senior watched his wife's overly enthusiastic exchange. He looked back towards his son. Artemis was wringing his hands together nervously. He knew if this was some joke, Artemis wouldn't be sweating bullets, even if it was an act.

"Wow." He finally said. "An elf. Well, son." he started smiling. "I always knew it was going to take a special girl for you but I never figured she'd be… _that_ special."

Artemis could tell by his father's tone that he honestly accepted that Holly was, in fact, an elf. He also accepted their being… together. Though, that wasn't much of a surprise if what Butler said about the noise being true. Artemis flushed anew.

"Come here young lady. Let me have a look at you." Artemis Senior called to Holly.

Holly nervously obliged, walking over to Artemis Fowl the First to face him head on. He looked her up and down, amazed at what he was seeing. _Her eyes, they're mismatched, just like…_ He re-focused and placed his index finger gently beneath her chin and angled her face to the side. He could see her ears were the genuine article. He smiled at her. He seemed satisfied with his inspection.

"Well, dear Holly. I hope Artemis is being a good host to you." he said, taking her hand.

"Yes, sir." Her voice was just above a whisper. What else was she suppose to say? She completely didn't know how to handle this situation.

"Good. Well, don't let him bully you just 'cause he's bigger than you." he jeered.

Holly smirked at the comment. "Don't worry, sir. I'm a police officer back in my hometown. I can handle myself."

Artemis Junior nodded over-enthusiastically in agreement from behind her line of sight. His father caught his gesture and laughed aloud.

"I'm sure you can. You look like a tough cookie." He patted her tiny hand approvingly. "Well, we're done eating so we'll be in the family room if you need us." At that, Artemis Senior and Angeline stood up and walked out of the kitchen towards the family room. His father passed by him on his way out and grabbed him on the shoulder.

"Son," he whispered into Artemis's burning ear "I shouldn't have to tell you this, but you're using something, right? Are we gonna have little half-elf babies running around here?"

Artemis blanched, flushed, and blanched again. He was starting to become nauseous from the stress and embarrassment that this entire situation was loading on him. "Father, I assure you that you needn't worry about that." he choked out.

"Good, good. Oh, and son, would you mind watching your volume while the boys are still up and about? They ask… questions."

_God, please provide me a hole for me to crawl into so I can die now,_ Artemis thought. "Yes," is all he could manage to say.

"Very good" His father replied, now speaking at full volume. "You kids get something to eat. Holly, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Holly ridiculously curtsied, not knowing what else to do. "Likewise." she replied. And though she wasn't exactly sure what his father had said to Artemis, she could tell it was making him physically ill…

She slipped over to Artemis and took his hand. She looked up at him with concern. "Everything okay?"

"Holly. If I could shimmer out of visibility, I would have already."

* * *

Once they had finished breakfast, Artemis rose to take their plates away. Butler wasn't around. He hoped he was upstairs, braving the depth in the bathroom. Thankfully, Holly had put away her clothing from last night, though Artemis had to get her shirt down for her.

Holly sat at the breakfast bar staring out the window. The day was grey and bleak. Holly sighed with disappointment. _So much for doing something outside_ she thought.

Artemis snuck up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist. "Don't worry; it's supposed to clear up by evening. Tomorrow is going to be sunny."

Holly looked over her shoulder towards him. She gave him a small smile. "So what do we do in the meantime?"

Artemis shot her a wicked smile. "Well, we could- …no wait, we did that already."

Holly smacked his arm. He just laughed.

"Okay, in all seriousness. We could watch a movie if you'd like." Artemis suggested.

"What about games?" Holly asked.

"Games? Like what?"

"I don't know. Chess or something?"

Artemis gave Holly a patronizing glare. "I would annihilate you at chess."

Holly huffed, defeated. "Yeah, you're right." Holly pouted as she tried to think of something else.

"You said last night that you wanted to go riding. We might not be able to ride in this weather, but, would you like to go see the horses?"

Holly's eyes lit up. As a fairy, it was in her nature to care about animals and nature in general, but Holly was particularly an animal-lover. "Yes. I'd love to meet your horses."

"Okay. In this weather, you're going to want boots. Let me find Myles's for you." Artemis released his hold around her and darted from the kitchen. Holly smirked to herself. That was probably right... she would fit in a four-year-old's boots. Then she thought, if for whatever reason she could ride, a skirt wasn't the most practical wardrobe choice. She hopped down from the stool at the breakfast bar and headed back towards the bedroom. The family room was situated to the left of the main foyer on the lower-main level. As Holly was about to start up the stairs to Artemis's room, she heard her named being called in stereo.

"Holly! Holly!" Beckett and Myles came trotting out of the family room. "Holly, will you play with us too? How long do you get to stay here?" Both questions came in quick succession.

"Oh, um, sure, I'll play with you. What do you like to do? And as to the other question, I'm leaving tomorrow evening." She carefully examined each boy's beaming face to find a subtle difference. Artemis had explained the strongest difference was in their personalities. Beckett seemed to be very outgoing, whereas Myles preferred to sit back and observe. Beckett, she assumed, grabbed her hand and led her into to the family room.

"Ah, Holly dear. Was breakfast to your liking?" Artemis Senior asked, looking over his newspaper.

"Yes, thank you." Holly couldn't help feeling shy and uncomfortable around his parents.

Artemis Senior smiled back at her, and returned to his paper. Then one of the boys, presumably Beckett again, called her over to the child size activity table they had in the corner of the room. Four small chairs surrounded the little table. It was a comfortable size for her. She pulled out one of the chairs and sat with the boys who had notebooks in front of them and open textbooks piled around them.

"This is… _playing_?" She asked, confused. It looked like they were preparing to take the Bar exam. She smiled at her thought, thinking she wouldn't put it past a Fowl child.

"Well, actually..." started the more quiet of the two- Myles, maybe, "we have to finish our French lesson before school on Monday. Do you know French Holly?"

"Yes." Holly replied. She could tell that both parents were paying attention to everything she did and said though they tried to act distant. Their father 'read' the paper and Angeline had a novel open on her lap. The entire time Holly was in the room, she never heard either of them turn a page of their reading material.

"Oh good! You can help me with verb conjugation." Myles scooted his chair closer to her, showing her what he was working on. Even though Holly spoke fluent French, one of her innate elvish abilities, she was never 'taught' it. Still, she could tell this was an advanced level exercise for a preschooler.

She looked at Myles incredulously. "You have homework like _this_ at- what are you, four? What kind of school do you go to?"

"We'll be five soon." Beckett said indignantly. "And this stuff isn't from school. All we do there is play with other kids and have stories _read_ to us."

"Like we can't read!" Myles rolled his eyes. "No, this is work Arty assigns us."

_Figures, he tortures his brothers,_ she thought. She looked at the exercise again. "Um, ok. So this sentence is talking about two men so the pronoun would be "Ils" and since it's an "er" verb, we'd change the ending to "ent". Does that make sense?" She looked at him curiously, his eyes were the exact same color as Artemis's eyes. Well, eye. And now, one of her eyes, too.

"Yes, thank you." Myles said, still looking at her. "Holly, can I ask you a question?"

"S-sure." she replied hesitantly. Children were dangerously unpredictable and overly curious. She was concerned about how she'd have to answer, their parents sitting only a few feet away.

"Why do you have two different colored eyes like Arty?"

_Phew... okay not so dangerous. But then again, I don't want to lie. Damn..._Holly tried to formulate as vague a response as possible, but thought she should just tell them the truth. "Well, the brown eye is the eye I was born with. Both my mom and my dad had the same color" _And just about every other elf in the Lower Elements, _she thought. "And the blue one is... well…" she started but couldn't finish. Suddenly, she sensed Artemis standing right behind her. He knelt down to put himself at eye level with brother, his eyes beside Holly's.

"The blue one is mine. Or, more correctly, _was_ mine." Artemis said. Holly looked cautiously over towards Artemis Senior, who was now blatantly paying attention to their conversation, utter shock destroying his ruse.

"Really?" Beckett spoke up, very impressed. "How did you do that? That's pretty cool."

"Actually, Beckett, it was quite by accident. Still, I've grown to love the look of my hazel eye." He said as he put his hand on Holly's shoulder. "I'll tell you the details about it another time."

"I have another question for you, Holly!" Beckett began this time.

"Yes?"

"Why do you sleep with no clothes on? Do you need some pajamas, because you can borrow mine-"

"No more questions, boys." Artemis stood abruptly and gave them a stern glare to inform them they had overstepped their boundaries. Holly swallowed loudly as she turned to gauge their parents' reaction. They were back to feigning disinterest in the discussion, acting as if they were still reading. Though, Artemis Senior's paper was now upside-down.

"Holly, are you ready? I left the boots by the back door." Artemis looked at her apologetically.

"Oh yeah, horses. Let me change into jeans. I'll be back in a minute." Artemis helped Holly rise and watched her scurry upstairs to change her clothes.

Once she had left the room, Artemis turned to chastising his brother. "Beckett, what have I told you about personal questions? You need to mind your own business more often."

"Oh, come now, Arty. You really should have locked your door." his father chuckled.

"First of all, I shouldn't _have_ to lock my door because people _should_ knock. Secondly, I _did_ lock my door, since I know these two cretins have no respect for my privacy. I simply failed to take into consideration that they know how to pick a lock!" Artemis said, his voice grinding with his irritation.

Artemis Senior looked over at the boys, who both proudly nodded their heads regarding the lock-picking accusation.

"And who, Arty, taught the boys how to pick locks?" his father asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.

Artemis grumbled. "I had good intentions. They come from a wealthy family, and bear the risk of being held for ransom. I was trying to ensure their safety, not nullify my privacy!"

Just then Holly wafted down the stairs, wearing the dark colored jeans from the day before. Artemis started towards her but then quickly turned and spoke in a threatening whisper to the twins. "Don't make me put a dead-bolt on the _outside_ of _your_ door."

Artemis took Holly's hand as he walked up to her, frankly not caring if his family was watching. His irritation was still very evident to Holly, and she decided it was probably best not to ask about what was said. They reached the back door where Artemis had put the boots. Shining black riding boots, with buff leather tops. Sure enough, Myles boots fit her just fine. Artemis slid his own pair on, and they headed out to the back of the property where the carriage house was.

Even though it was damp and cold, Holly inhaled deeply. She could smell the horses, the grass, the rain, the salty water from the nearby shore- and of course the pollution, though she tried hard to ignore that part. She just loved being out in nature.

Artemis smiled down at her. By evidence of her huge grin, she was happy to be outside. Inside his heart of hearts though, Artemis felt pained. She (and the entire fairy race) was forced to live below the surface because of humans like him. It was horribly unfair. It was particularly sad because, although the fairy society wasn't a completely peaceful place (hence the need for the LEP), they still had more balance. There was no one starving down there through no fault of their own. There weren't people sick and dying simply because they couldn't afford medical treatment or it wasn't available to them where they lived. In reality, The People's social structure was working better than any human government. Artemis always figured this was because they were united under one government - The Council. Although he initially thought their society was more like a socialized country, he had to admit it worked for the most part. Like Switzerland. Artemis thought briefly that if he was in charge of things on the surface, things would be much different. He smiled to himself and jested, _Yes, I'd be a good world ruler._

"What are you smiling about?"

"What?" Holly's voice had snapped him out of his mental banter. "Oh, I was just thinking about how much I enjoy your company."

She squeezed his hand tighter. She knew there was more to whatever it was going on in his head, but she didn't want to spend her entire weekend having a discussion that would just leave her with a headache.

They reached the stalls. It was so muddy, Holly was thankful for the boots. Artemis walked into the stall. He unlatched the door where his personal Arabian was. It was a 4 year old white stallion. A simply beautiful animal. Artemis led the horse over to an entranced Holly.

"Holly, this is Cosmo." he leaned towards her. "I didn't name him." shaking his head. He felt the name was utterly ridiculous. "He is a rescue."

The horse whinnied and swooshed its tail. Holly smiled. She turned to Artemis. "He thinks you're going to ride him."

Artemis's eyes widened. He was never going to get used to the whole 'talk-to-the-animals' thing.

The horse started to make a cacophony of noises, all which simply sounded like the horse 'neighing' to him, but Holly began to laugh in apparent understanding.

"He says you don't give him enough exercise- that you're getting lazy!"

"Is that so?" Artemis narrowed his eyes at the horse. "Fine," he spat.

Artemis headed over to where all the equipment was kept, and started saddling the horse and placed his reigns in. It was evident to Holly that he's been doing this for a long time.

"When did you start riding?" she asked.

"When I was about four. I was a small kid, smaller than the twins at that age. They started me on a Shetland. My parents forced me do something… _physical,_" He rolled his eyes at the word "and this was the only thing moderately enjoyable to me at the time. The twins each have a Shetland of their own now, though they have no desire to come riding with me." Artemis tightened the saddle belt and gave the horse a pat on the side to let him know he was done. At that, the horse began to whinny again and Holly covered her mouth to muffle her laugh.

"God, what is he saying now?" Artemis looked at her, pained.

"Um... something along the lines of 'Less talky, more running'." she said.

"Well, who knew you were such a wise ass." He smirked at his horse. "Holly, would you like to ride with me?"

"Really? Riding, in this weather?" she asked, surprised.

"I'm certainly not going to be called lazy by a horse and let him get away with it!"

Holly smiled. "Sure. But I've never actually been on a horse." _Not even a Unicorn..._ she thought. She had grown up in the city after all.

He smirked at her. "I won't go too fast. Wait here. I'll go get the step ladder."

"Why, do you think I need it?" she asked with mock insult. Artemis just nodded dumbly.

Holly turned toward the horse and made some noises that to Artemis sounded like a little kid trying to impersonate a horse for fun. He couldn't help but smile. His smile quickly melted into disbelief when the horse knelt down on its two front legs and Holly grabbed the small English saddle and swung herself on. The horse stood back up with Holly quite comfortable on its back.

Artemis looked dumbfounded. Holly just cocked an eyebrow at him. "You coming?"

"Unbelievable," she heard him mutter under his breath. He hooked his boot into the pointed stirrup and swung onto the horse behind Holly. He cracked the reigns, kicked his heels into the horse's side and they took off. They ran for less than two minutes before they were entirely soaked. He took the horse around the riding ring for several circuits at top speed. He saw Holly's knuckles whiten as she held on to the saddle. Artemis smirked. A little belated payback for turning him green on multiple occasions with her driving. He completed the circuit and slowed the horse to a trot, then a full stop.

"Holly?"

"Yes?"

"You okay?" he asked her, smiling.

"Peachy." she said, sarcastically. In reality, she was terrified. Mostly because she wasn't in control. She enjoyed driving, but not being a passenger. Still, she drove vehicles- machines. It was completely different being on an animal. Even though she had faith in Artemis as a rider, this animal still had a mind of its' own. It was also much larger than either her or Artemis. She felt the horse's massive muscles contracting and extending beneath her. This was a powerful being. She was frankly surprised Artemis could command it. _Cosmo really likes him as his rider,_ she thought.

"Great. Oh, and Holly, you should hold on tightly." Artemis said as he backed up with the horse, aligning it with the fence around the riding ring. The horse started making excited noises but was very compliant to Artemis's commands. Holly heard Cosmo say something along the lines of _'Oh hell, yeah!'_ Holly swallowed her heart and gripped the saddle with all her strength.

"Hyah!" Artemis cracked the reigns and the horse shot off at top speed _towards_ the fence. Holly was about to close her eyes when she felt the horse's strong body push itself up from under her as it leapt over the fence. A brief floating sensation, then the ground thudded under heavy hooves once again. Artemis pulled the reigns back to slow the horse, laughing like a child. Holly's eyes were bugged out, dazed by their unexpected flight. Artemis continued to laugh as he led the horse, at a much more responsible speed, into the woods surrounding the Fowl estate.

Artemis let the horse wander a little bit, to a berry patch it knew of. Artemis let the reigns hang slack and ran his hand over Holly's wet hair. He leaned down and kissed her temple. Holly smiled.

"Arty?"

"Mm?"

"What are you thinking right now?"

What Artemis was thinking he wasn't sure he knew how to say. _I love you more than words. Never leave me again. I can't live without you. Yeah… probably too strong. _"I was thinking that you're a lot of fun to be with."

"Oh." Earlier that morning, she had jokingly mentioned never leaving, and he replied "_fine with me". _Now Holly really tried to think of some way to stay longer. Within minutes, his family had accepted her for what she was. Not human. That alone was quite a lot to ask from a human family. If she stayed with him, she could live, quite comfortable, on the surface. She'd have to give up the LEP, or maybe she could convince the Council to let her be an on-call Recon field agent. Even if they stayed together, there was the issue of their life spans. Holly would have to give up her whole live in Haven for a few fleeting years with a mud-man, who would grow old and die before she even reached middle age. As Holly's emotions about losing Artemis gripped her, she felt her eyes tearing up. She was suddenly thankful for the rain, to camouflage her tears.

Artemis could feel her shudder against his body. "Holly?" he asked, concerned. He leaned over to her side to face her.

Holly turned away from him at first. But then she turned back, and holding his face, kissed him gently on the lips. Artemis started to deepen the kiss. He began to take her bottom lip when he felt Holly sob. He pulled back to look at her. Even though he couldn't tell if the droplets on her cheeks were tears or rain, it was obvious by her red rimmed eyes and quivering lip that she was crying.

"Holly? What is it?" He asked her, confused and becoming upset at the sight of her so sad. She began to let out heaving sobs and she cried into her hands. Artemis quickly wrapped his arms around her and although he didn't know why she was crying, it made him feel like he was going to cry. Holly was one of the strongest people he knew, strong in every way. He didn't hold anyone in the high esteem that he held her. It was heartbreaking to see her this way, vexed and torn.

"Artemis..." she choked out. "Let's go back. It's getting too cold for us to be out here, all wet."

Artemis grabbed the reigns and pulled the horse around towards the riding track so he wouldn't have to jump the fence again. He walked the horse back into the barn and Holly jumped off at the horse's full height. Although Artemis was impressed, he still eyed her cautiously to see if she'd stop crying. He dismounted the horse and looked at her. She had wrapped her arms around her body in a self embrace. Artemis made as quick work as he could of getting the horse and its' equipment put away. He walked back over to Holly and tried to move his wet hair off his face. He looked down at her, she was watching the ground. He put his hand on her shoulder and she finally looked at him.

"Holly, talk to me."

Holly gazed up at Artemis. He was just as sopping wet as she was, hair hanging down, his dark shirt clinging to his chest. She briefly smiled, and mused how sexy he looked, and how this was just the second time today she'd been soaking wet with him.

But then she remembered what put her in her depression. She couldn't believe how fast she had fallen in love with him. Or was it really that fast? It was approaching five years since they first met. What an odd start they had to their relationship. She briefly jested with herself about telling _that_ story to the children. But then, her heart began to ache, because deep down she knew that was not a future she could have with Artemis. Holly dropped her hold around herself and threw her arms tightly around his waist. She sobbed bitterly into his stomach, as he ran his hands over her damp hair. He just stood there with her for a while until she stilled. She finally let go of him and took a step backwards from him. She wiped her swollen eyes with her fingers, took a deep breath then looked back up at him with a forced smile.

"Sorry. I just got a little… overwhelmed. A lot to take in… in a single day. I'm good now." she said, regaining control. "Let's go in and dry off."

"Okay." He said, gently. Artemis resigned that she was not going to talk about whatever was bothering her, for now at least. He wouldn't push her.

As Holly turned to walk out, Artemis noticed Holly's wet clothes. They stuck to her body and revealed every curve of her body. More than that, her white blouse had become completely translucent. He could very plainly see her white satin bra beneath. Artemis's eyes bugged out at the sight, and realized she would have to walk into the house looking like that. Artemis rushed to grab one of the blankets they kept in the barn and wrapped it around her. The cold was harsh now, and she took it gratefully.

They walked in the back door of the manor which connected to the kitchen. Butler was in the kitchen, relaxing with a coffee, perusing the most recent issue of "Guns & Ammo" magazine. He looked up at them, both dripping wet with muddy boots.

"I just cleaned this floor. You'd better take those boots off right there." he warned, like a nattering old woman.

Holly felt a half-smile creep up her face and she tore the boots off her feet. She walked into the kitchen, not dripping so badly, since she covered herself with the blanket, and it wasn't raining as hard during their walk back from the barn. Artemis was soaked through. Butler smiled at the two of them.

"Why did you go out in the rain?" he asked.

"Holly wanted to spend her weekend outside, in the 'fresh' air." He emphasized the word _fresh,_ since he knew if anyone was aware of the pollutants in the air, it was her.

"Well, you should change before you catch cold." Butler smiled at Artemis and as Holly turned to walk towards the bedroom, he mouthed to Artemis _"Your bathroom floor is dry again. Try to keep it that way."_ Artemis felt his cheeks blush slightly but still managed to mouth back to him "_Thank you"._

*****Police Plaza, moments prior*******

Commander Kelp strode into the Ops Booth Foaly was manning. "Foaly, where is Captain - I mean, Major Short this weekend?"

"Trouble, you… authorized her surface visa for the weekend." _Is this some sort of test _he thought? "She's… up there now."

_Oh yeah..._ he thought, suddenly remembering. She had asked for only one day, and he couldn't get over how her face lit up when he told her he'd do her one better and get her the whole weekend. Trouble smiled fondly at the memory.

"Okay, so, she's off duty. But does she have her communicator? I just need to ask her a quick question about a case I'm trying to resolve. Purely business, you see."

"I don't think she took anything with her, to be honest." Foaly answered, becoming a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't the best liar.

"Well, where is she? You ought to know, Foaly. Don't you see all?" he said, smiling, trying to stroke the centaur's ego. In actuality, Trouble should know where she is. She was one of his officers and he had issued the visa. But he forgot to ask, since she uncharacteristically squealed with delight when he told her she could stay up there for the entire weekend. He knew under Holly's tough, take-no-shit attitude, she was still just a woman. But now he had to cover his ass.

"Well, I believe she mentioned stopping by to see Artemis Fowl." He inwardly kicked himself for letting that data leak. "I'm not sure where she's at now though." Foaly hoped that would be enough and then he could privately get a warning to Holly through Artemis's communicator.

"Fowl? What the hell for? Is he up to his old tricks? Pull up the satellite imaging system. Run a thermal scan on the estate, and isolate for a magical signature. Show me what you can find- if she's still there, we'll make contact through Fowl." Trouble commanded.

_Oh shit... Holly, please be sitting down for a casual cup of tea right now._ Foaly thought as he begrudgingly typed the commands to pull up the satellite feed. Foaly found her signature on the Fowl estate grounds, along with two other warm bodies. One obviously human, the other looked like a large mammal, a horse most likely. _Okay, they're out riding. Phew, could have been way worse _he thought as he entered the final command to pull the visual from the spy satellite as he pin-pointed the GPS coordinates of her position.

The image lit up the screen and both Foaly and Trouble's breath came in sharp, audible, gasps. The view was roughly from above, but clear enough. There, on the screen was Holly and Artemis, together, on horseback... kissing. Foaly shut his eyes, willing the image to disappear. Trouble was in utter shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing... _Holly, his Holly, being defiled by a Mud Man._

Trouble averted his gaze. "Shut it down." Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few deep breaths. "Get in contact with that… _Mud Man_. I don't care how. Tell him to expect company."

"Commander?" Foaly asked, worried.

"I'm sending Retrieval One. Major Short's holiday has just been cut short."


	5. Confrontation

**A/N: MANY THANKS to those who reviewed! Here you all are: Chapter 5 with promised lemon enclosed. **

**So this chapter introduces an original character but she is a minor part of the story. Actually, I think she's pretty kick-ass.**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Artemis and Holly headed back to his bedroom to change. Holly was forcing herself out of her funk. There was no point being down in the dumps on her 'vacation'. She should, and would enjoy every minute she had with Artemis... every fleeting minute.

Artemis pulled off his soaked Polo shirt and caught Holly eyeing him. He smiled at her, crooking a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. "Like what you see?" he teased.

Holly ignored this taunt. She was still plotting her revenge, payback for this morning's episode. Slowly, she started taking off her own wet clothes. His eyes were locked on her. She wanted him to suffer, and so, dragged out every titillating movement with an innocent, nubile expression on her face.

One by one, Holly freed the small buttons of her blouse, lingering painfully when she had just exposed her bra. She let the damp shirt carelessly slide down her caramel shoulders as she went. Artemis, seemingly made of stone, was barely breathing. _Right where I want you _she mused. She drew her lithe arms from the sticky sleeves and turned away. Unbuttoning her jeans, she let the zipper hum down, just loud enough for Artemis to hear. Looping her thumbs in the belt straps, she prepared to drag the denim down with excruciating slowness. It was then she realized the jeans had become unusually tight, shrunken from all the moisture. She was still tugging at the stubborn waist when she felt the clasp of her bra come undone. Her arm flew to her chest, but not fast enough to keep the garment on. When she spun around, Artemis was right behind her, smirking.

"What? It's wet too. It really should come off, anyway." he nodded in mock innocence.

"Watch it, Fowl." She gave him a playful smack on the arm.

Artemis feigned injury, clutching his arm like it was in pain. "How could you, Short?"

Holly squealed when Artemis suddenly grabbed her around the waist, lifting her with ease. He flung her onto the edge of the bed, and leaned his bare chest over hers. Her arms were sprawled across the warm bedspread, looking up at him with beaming, heterochromatic eyes.

Holly's chest heaved. Greedily, she took in the scent of his moist skin and wet hair as he held himself over her. A playful smile spread across his face. Artemis stood up, and said "Now Holly, what kind of gentleman would I be, if I didn't assist you?" He lifted her legs, gently leaning them vertically against his chest. He made quick work of her socks, but then paused, to tenderly kiss the soles of her tiny feet. Holly was mesmerized by this contrasting, caring touch. He reached for the waist of her tight jeans, and, with considerable effort, managed to peel them from her smooth, bronze legs. He just ran his hands up and down them for a while, massaging her muscles. He knew they'd still be sore from riding. Holly couldn't believe this was the same man she'd 'bathed' with this morning.

He stopped stripping her when he got down to her panties. The thin white bottoms weren't spared from the soaking, and were completely see-through now. He eyed them hungrily, and slipped them off too.

Holly let her clothes come off her in a heady daze. Suddenly, when she realized she was completely naked, she instinctually tried to cover herself with her arms. He chuckled at her reaction.

"Bashful, all of a sudden?" he said, bemused. The wet slacks dropped to his ankles, along with his boxers.

"Artemis! A little greedy, aren't we?" Holly smirked at him.

He crawled over top of her on the bed. He leaned down and spoke softly into her ear. "Come, Holly. You're leaving tomorrow, and then, who knows when we'll be together again."

Holly's stomach flipped. He _was_ right. She had no idea when she'd be able to come back. After tomorrow, she returned to her boring desk job, complete with constant jeers from her supposed friend, awkward tension between her and her boss, and worst of all, an empty apartment- no handsome lover waiting for her.

"You're right" she acquiesced.

"I always am."

He began to kiss her while she backed towards the center of the bed, all while never breaking their kiss. He lowered himself onto her, supporting his weight on his forearms. Artemis was getting bored of these chaste kisses and he ran his tongue along the edge of her closed mouth. Holly granted him access, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. Holly met his tongue with her own, and began to suck it in the same fashion she had nursed other parts of him, just the previous night.

Artemis moaned into her mouth. He let his left hand drift down to her waiting breast. He palmed it firmly and Holly met his touch by arching her back. He alternated his stimulation, from gently squeezing the little mound, to moving over her taut nipple, rolling it between his thumb and index finger. Holly moaned and writhed beneath him. He explored, with his mouth, along her jaw line, down her neck, then to her collarbone, kissing and nipping at her tawny skin all the way. He then let his mouth follow a path mirroring his hand, to her other firm breast.

When his tongue, along with his hot breath, touched her nipple, Holly began moaning loudly. Artemis lifted his mouth off her breast just enough to talk. "You really need to watch your volume, love." Her hand flew to her mouth, and she felt him smile against her heaving chest. Raising his head just slightly, he licked the long sheen of sweat from between her breasts with great pride. He was making her sweat.

He moved his attention back to her now stiffened nipple. He rolled his tongue around the peak, and Holly had to bite her fist to keep from crying out. She rubbed her thighs together, trying to get some friction, but she was already slick. Artemis caught the hint, and brought his left hand down to touch her. As his fingers found her folds, his breathing hitched. He was momentarily overcome by the amount of moisture already there.

"God, you're so wet, Holly." he rasped.

"Artemis" she moaned, but managed to maintain a low volume. "Please." she wanted him now, like this.

"You won't have to ask twice, love." He wrapped an arm completely around her waist, which was easy to do since it was arched up against his chest. In a single, swift movement, he flipped her over, on to her stomach. Holly gasped at the sudden inversion.

"What? You don't expect me to fuck you on your back, do you? We don't line up. You're too short, Short." he said. He grabbed her hips from behind, lifting her ass up into position.

_Is he going to take me from… behind? _She was thrilled by the ingenious solution. And Artemis's dirty talk... Holly found _that_ even more erotic, since it was just so _wrong_ coming from his mouth. She was also momentarily happy her mouth was buried in the blankets; it would muffle her now incessant moans.

Pushing gently on the small of her back, he made her curve her rear up, which brought her wet center into view. He laid his now throbbing erection to her folds. Holly felt him sliding along her wetness and let a strangled cry into the sheets. And when Artemis mused how he'd be able to get deeper in this position, he paused, remembering that morning, where his roughness had actually injured her.

Holly steadied herself on her forearms, confused by his hesitation. She figured he was just trying to torment her. "Not nice." She huffed, and pushed herself back onto his cock, taking at least half of him inside just by herself. Artemis hissed at her sudden movement. He _was_ trying to pace himself, so he didn't go at her with reckless abandon. She seemed to have misread his actions as teasing. Once Artemis had regained some composure, he slid his right hand up along the full length of her spine, and wrapped it over her shoulder, almost around her neck. Tightening his grip, he pulled her firmly back towards him, while thrusting into her from behind.

As Artemis sunk home, she screamed in ecstasy against her arm, trying to muffle the sound. He moved in and out, and in again, with a slow, purposeful rhythm, gauging her response. Pleased, Artemis released his left hand from her hip and searched for her breast. He took the handful, and lifted Holly, bringing her arched back up against chest. With her up on her knees, he released his other hand from her neck and ran his middle finger repeatedly over her swollen clit. Artemis felt her walls tighten around him.

"Ahh...Arty, I can't...I can't be quiet!" Holly was trying hard to keep the scream from escaping as she approached climax.

Artemis moved his left hand from her breast to cover her mouth. His other hand's fingers pressed harder and faster against the tight bundle of nerves that were now dripping wet, while he plunged into her from below, again and again. When she felt his hand over her mouth to silence her cries, she knew she could let herself go. Holly screamed against his palm, while her juices gushed out onto his other hand. With her pussy clenched against him so tightly, he couldn't hold out much longer. He let her fall forward, onto her arms. His hands returned to her hips and he grabbed her roughly, plowing into her full force.

With his hand now away from her mouth, Holly was doing everything in her power to stay quiet. She whimpered and whined, until she heard him trying to muffle his own grunts. He pushed in one final time when his orgasm hit. She felt him empty into her though there wasn't much left, after that morning's escapade. His body shuddered against her. He was panting hard as he slowly uncurled his fingers from her hips. His knuckles had whitened from the strain and he knew he most likely left fingertip shaped bruises in her sides.

He bent over, wrapping his arms around her. They gently turned, with Artemis lying down behind, spooning her small form, their sexes still coupled together. They lay there, until their bodies stilled and breathing became easier. He withdrew his member from her body and Holly could feel all the fluids running down her inner thighs. She momentarily felt guilty for all the extra housework they were giving Butler. The bed was going to need to be stripped. Maybe they could do it themselves. It would save the embarrassment of having Butler find _more_ evidence of what they were up to.

"Thanks for helping me change." She sighed.

"Well..." Artemis huffed out. "You're quite welcome. Anytime, in fact."

Holly snickered. She really wanted, or more like _needed,_ a bath now. She really didn't get a chance to wash herself that morning. Then, out in the cold rain riding a horse, and now this. Holly crawled, on her hands and knees, to the edge of the bed and slid down. She went into the bathroom and drew herself another bath. She didn't bother with salts or jets. She just wanted to get clean. She noticed the bathroom was indeed cleaned up entirely, no doubt by Butler. The towels were restocked, with one kindly left on the vanity, within easy reach for her.

Holly washed herself rather quickly. She half expected Artemis to come barreling in, trying for a repeat of that morning's encounter. Once she finished washing and rinsing her hair, she flipped the drain release valve and climbed out of the tub. The whole time she bathed, Artemis had left her alone. She found this a little curious. Wrapping her body up in the towel, she walked out of the bathroom.

Holly wasn't sure if she should be amused or irritated by what she saw. Artemis was completely passed out, face down on the bed. He wasn't used to this much physical exertion. She pulled herself onto the bed, crawling up right next to him, and slapped him on the ass with all her strength. Artemis shot up, grabbing his cheek, a small pink handprint appearing. He looked at Holly, shocked. She was grinning in return.

"Did I pass out?" he asked, confused.

"Yes. Now go have a shower and get dressed. We should get something to eat." It was already past lunch, maybe even closer to dinner. Holly crawled back off the bed, and went to dig through her bag for her last pair of clean underwear. Bright red. As she pulled them on, her towel came loose and fell to the floor. She heard Artemis sigh. She looked over to him and of course, he was watching her. But he didn't look like he wanted to mount her, like usual. Instead, he looked a little wistful. Holly looked at him with questioning concern.

"Holly, you... you're so beautiful. Do you know that?" He sounded oddly sad.

Holly continued to dress but never took her eyes off of him. She felt uncomfortable suddenly. _Where is this going, this relationship? Where can it go?_ She wondered. She couldn't partner with someone outside her species. Not to mention, the Council's warlocks wouldn't perform the ceremony, even if it were possible. She started becoming depressed again but fought it, promising herself she'd be happy this weekend.

Artemis finally crawled off the bed and headed into the bathroom. He looked at her once more before he closed the door. "What am I going to, after you leave?" he asked rhetorically.

Holly smirked, trying to lighten the mood she answered, "Go back to jacking off," snickering. She laughed even harder at his reply.

From behind the door, he said "That's a given."

* * *

Police Plaza

Trouble Kelp was more than slightly disturbed by the satellite images. Not just because it was Holly with someone (That is, someone other than himself), but also because it was Holly with Artemis. It was _so_ wrong. Firstly, a fairy with a Mud Man was disgusting in of itself. Secondly, of all the Mud Men to get a fairy woman, it should never have been Fowl. And then thirdly, with _Holly..._ He would never forget that it was Artemis that had _kidnapped_ her, and held her hostage, for ransom, and succeeded! He was one of the most dangerous, treacherous humans imaginable.

Then another thought crossed his mind. What if Artemis had tricked her, or worse yet, forced her? Brainwashing, Stockholm syndrome, mind-altering drugs! Trouble's blood began to boil as he fleshed out every possible situation in his head, all proving her the helpless victim of Artemis's mental mind-fucking. He hated that human with every fiber of his being. He managed to save his sorry ass by helping with the Goblin rebellion, and that's the only reason why he wasn't mind-wiped after they got Holly back. But even when he did end up getting wiped, he still managed to somehow regain all his memories! He was a threat to the entirety of The People. _If he's done anything to Holly, _he thought, _he will pay_. He'd get wiped so fast and thoroughly he wouldn't even remember his own name. And Holly would be nothing but a fictional dream to him.

Even though Trouble was a Commander, he still needed head of Retrieval, Commander Freiya, to authorize the use of Team 1. He'd have to pitch his case just right so that she'd understand exactly how dangerous this human was, and that Holly needed help.

Commander Freiya was already inundated, by case after case. She hated this part of her job. There was tons of paperwork involved for anyone above a Captain rank. Though, Freiya still loved being in charge. Not for the power, or even the respect. She felt it was necessary to keep good people in the high positions, people who knew how to do their jobs- regardless of the sacrifice it called for. She had been mentored by Wing Commander Vinyaya, and admired her ideals. Freiya had hopes of someday joining her as the next (and only other) female member on the Council. Almost all members of the Council are former LEP officers, and was confident she'd be considered for the next open position.

Trouble walked into the Retrieval wing of LEP headquarters. He found Commander Freiya, up to her pointed ears in paperwork. He strode right into her office, uninvited.

"Commander" he called out to her. She turned towards him and forced a smile.

"Commander Kelp, what brings you into our neck of the woods?"

Trouble's face hardened. "I wish it was good news, Freiya, but it's Artemis Fowl." That name alone put the fairy people on edge. However, Freiya had actually reviewed his bio file, unlike most of the other officers. He hadn't had any interaction with The People for some time, and his last few interactions had been positive. He helped with the Goblin Rebellion and was instrumental in bringing home Hybras, and therefore demon warlocks back into their society. Frond's spell to restrict fairies from surface buildings would have never been lifted and that was a vital part of Retrieval's operations. So, although most fairies feared Artemis Fowl, Freiya preferred to examine all the facts, rather than make a hasty judgment.

"What about him?" she asked, her voice level.

"Well, it appears there seems to be some sort of... issue between him and Major Short. Again. She was granted a surface pass for the weekend, and happened to see Fowl. She's still there now and well, it appears that he's been... pursuing her." Trouble wasn't exactly sure how a professional could say. _Ugh, they were kissing!_

"What do you mean, Commander? Holly is with Artemis, at his estate, correct?" she questioned, closing the file she was working on.

"Yes."

"And she has permission to be up there, correct?"

"Yes..." Trouble gave her a quizzical look. _Where is she going with this?_ He wished she'd just get to the point.

"I'm really failing to see the problem, Commander. How about some details?" she said, shaking her head at him.

"Well, I needed to make contact, but she was without a communication device..."

"Naturally," she interjected "Since that would be in her helmet, and she is on approved leave. Continue."

"Right... so I had an Ops officer locate her. He found her with Fowl..." he stopped mid-sentence, to swallow the bile that was coming into his mouth "...k-kissing."

Commander Freiya's eyebrows rose in mild surprise, but her response wasn't nearly what Trouble hoped it would be.

"Commander, was it of vital urgency, that you should contact Major Short, when you decided to spy on her?" She leaned toward him as she asked this.

"I did need assistance, on a case that she was directly involved with," he said, his lame excuse sounding thin under this line of questioning.

"And this couldn't wait, what, a day or two?" she asked, annoyed.

"I felt it was necessary to close the case out as soon as possible." _D'Arvit, this isn't going well..._

"Who issued Holly this visa?" she shot at him.

"Well, I did, but... I didn't ask where she was going." Trouble recalled about how delighted she was when he issued the pass. She must have been planning all along to go see Mud-boy. His stomach knotted as his heart sank into it.

It was no secret that Kelp had a 'thing' for his only female subordinate. So did a few of her fellow officers. Freiya remembered months ago, Holly jesting at lunch, how all the unwelcome attention was simply because there wasn't any 'variety' in the force.

Freiya brought her fingertips to her temples; to stem the spreading headache Kelp was giving her. "This is how I understand the situation- please, correct me if I'm wrong: You issued Holly a visa, but failed to ask where she was going- which, by the way, is a violation of policy. You then failed to make sure she had a hand-held communicator; in the rare case she should be recalled for active duty due to an _emergency_. Using her personal time as she saw fit, she willingly went to Fowl. Then, you, getting lonely or lazy at work, decided to disrupt her time off- and when you couldn't reach her, you wasted LEP resources to track her, unnecessarily, only to reveal... she's _on a date_? And now, you come whining to me because you think I'd actually assist you in physically detaining an officer on approved leave. Am I far off, Commander?"

She was spot on the mark. _So much for getting her on my side_... He rallied, "But Commander! He's a Mud Man! It's... immoral!" He added inwardly, _not to mention, unethical, unnatural and just plain old disgusting!_

"To my knowledge, Commander Kelp, there is nothing in the book _nor_ in the Council's laws that forbids a fairy from kissing any_one_ or any_thing_ they damn well please!" she yelled at him.

He fought to maintain his composure. "I take it, then, you are not likely to lend me your forces in a retrieval mission, then?"

"You've got that right. And I expect that you will also act with discretion, Trouble." He knew that in calling him by his first name, she was telling him he was too personally involved.

"Very well, Commander. Good day to you." he saluted her stiffly and spun to walk out. The instant his face was out of her line of sight his expression slipped into a scowl.

Trouble realized he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. Surface visas were unnecessary for Commanders. He had a starter chip to a shuttle. He'd just go himself and at least bring Holly home. He _is_ her superior officer after all.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Ops Booth, Foaly worked feverishly to find the private frequency that Holly and Artemis's communicator's used. That wasn't too hard. Next he had to secure the line. Not that he was really worried about anyone tracking him, but he could never be too sure. The only person who ever gave him a run for his money was Artemis himself. Foaly encoded a self-destruct command to any recording device that may pick up the connection. Now just to open the line...

* * *

Fowl Manor

Artemis found another Polo shirt deep in the bottom of his drawer. This one was a pale blue. Holly refused to let him get dressed into any of his Armani suits. He tossed the shirt on the bed while he dug around for another pair of slacks but wasn't finding anything.

"Artemis, don't you own a single pair of jeans?" Holly asked, exasperated.

Artemis scowled. He sulked over to a smaller storage closet in the corner of the room. He opened it, and pulled down what appeared to be a wrapped gift. The box was decorated with a loudly printed design; little cakes with a single candle on them. There was a large blue bow stuck on the lid. Artemis tore off the lid with great distain, and dropped the box on the bed for Holly. Inside, Holly saw a pair of what appeared to be... designer jeans. Holly smiled. Artemis grumbled.

"They were from Juliet for my 19th birthday. Apparently, they are quite popular in New York, _like I care_." he muttered the last part under his breath.

Holly pulled them out. They _were_ nice jeans. "Oh come on Artemis! I've never seen you wear jeans! Please!"

Artemis grumbled and snatched the jeans from her hands. He drew them on and Holly beamed.

He hiked them up over his boxers and zipped them up. "You should know," he said as he buttoned the fly "the last time I wore jeans was in order to steal a painting. So I must genuinely love you if I'm doing this."

Holly inspected him. He hadn't put his shirt on yet and with only the jeans on, he looked like a model from a magazine. The low cut and slim fitting thighs made his legs appear longer and accentuated his ass. She smiled approvingly. He even mockingly did a catwalk turn for her. She laughed.

"Arty." she said in a suddenly serious tone.

"What." His tone made the word seem as if it wasn't a question but simply the irritated response that it was.

"You look really sexy in those."

"Oh... really...?" Artemis looked away from her, embarrassed.

He had just finishing dressing when his fairy communicator (in it's cell phone disguise) began to ring. Puzzled, Artemis looked at Holly. She was equally puzzled. Artemis walked over to his desk and picked up the communicator cautiously. Flipping it open, he answered. "Artemis Fowl speaking."

Foaly's voice crackled through the line. "Good Frond, Artemis. I'm glad I reached you first." He sounded alarmed.

"Foaly? What's wrong?"

"Expect company. Looks like you got a jealous non-boyfriend on his way to snatch your girl."

"Excuse me?" Artemis's voice hitched up and octave.

"You've got Trouble." Foaly laughed. Oh, how he loved a pun on the Commander's stupid choice for a name.

"Can you be more specific, please?" Artemis was already tired of the conversation.

"Okay, so as much as Holly hates to believe it, Trouble Kelp has had the hots for her, ever since she got out of the Academy."

Artemis eyed Holly suspiciously. "Go on."

"Right, so he got an itch for the attention of his favorite officer, when he remembered she wasn't around. So he used an imaging satellite to track her down, and of course, you two just happened to be snogging!"

"I'm sorry?" Artemis asked, worried. He was pretty certain a satellite image wouldn't be able to get anything so... graphic sounding. "What the hell is _snogging_?"

"You know, sucking face... making out. While you were out riding? Sound familiar? By the way, smooth moves Casanova." he guffawed.

Initially, Artemis was irritated. But as the situation Foaly described became clear, Artemis's heart leapt into this throat. It was one thing if Foaly knew about him and Holly. For her commanding officer to know... now her career was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, in peril.

Holly watched Artemis's expressions intently. And since she only heard Artemis talking, a one-sided conversation, her curiosity and anxiety began to build. She was trying to be patient, left in the dark, but it had to be something serious for Foaly to use the communicator to reach Artemis as opposed to just E-mailing him.

"So what's the situation now?" Artemis asked.

"Trouble took a shuttle up. He's coming to retrieve his prized possession." Foaly explained, very matter-of-fact.

Artemis was steaming. He knew nothing of any romantic dynamic between Holly and her superior officer, whether the interest was one-sided or not. He met Trouble once before and had thought highly of him at the time. Holly spoke of him well. Now, he was informed that this man was not only trying to cut short his time with Holly, but also to give her problems regarding what _she_ chose to do with _her_ personal life. That is, any choice that didn't positively involve Kelp. Artemis grew especially indignant at the phrase _"his prized possession."_

"Thank you for the notice Foaly. Your services, as always, are appreciated." Artemis's voice was colder than ice. Holly paled when she heard him talk. That was a tone she hadn't heard him use in a long time. It sent a chill down her spine. Artemis's mood had completely morphed back into the one he wore as the 12 year-old boys who scared the shit out of everyone.

Artemis was calculating. He played out different scenarios in his head, weighing the likelihood of each hypothesis. After only seconds, Artemis concluded that Holly most likely did not return Trouble Kelp's affections; otherwise Kelp wouldn't have felt so threatened. In fact, she was probably oblivious to how strong his feelings were. Also, that he knew Trouble would expose Holly and his relationship to the Council if it could somehow succeed in simply breaking them up without her losing her job. Maybe he would pull strings to save her job, making himself look like the hero. Or would he choose to use this as black mail to rein control over her? Maybe he would-

"Artemis?" Holly asked, hesitantly. She broke him from his reverie.

"It would seem... I have competition for your affection, Holly dear." his tone warmed slightly.

"What?" Holly asked, incredulously.

"Trouble Kelp is coming to fetch you. He's on to "us" it seems and he's none too happy about it." Personally, Artemis thought it was it utterly ridiculous, that Kelp would act out of protocol due to a fit of jealousy. However, it still made Artemis inexplicably uneasy. This man was an elf. An elf, like Holly, who lived in the same world, had known her for years and would be able to live out a full and complete life with her. Artemis couldn't stop him from feeling threatened.

"Kelp _knows_? D'Arvit! Artemis! Do you know what this means? I'll lose my job! They'll stick me back on Traffic! Oh, I can just see him unleashing Internal Affairs on me..." Holly started her statement with panic but by the time she digested Trouble's intent, she was engulfed with fury.

"I know, Holly. That's what I was so worried about yesterday! Look, I think it's best if you just act professional right now. There's still time to turn this situation around."

"How, Artemis?" she asked contentiously.

"Listen, Holly. You haven't _done_ anything illegal. What case can he make against you?" Artemis reasoned.

"I suppose..." Holly seemed uncertain. "Well what do I do when he gets here? I can't let on that I knew he was coming. Then Foaly would be facing the sharks right along with me."

"No, you're correct. You will need to act surprised by his unexplained visit. In any case, I believe it would be prudent to brief Butler. We should also probably go to a more secluded area of the manor, so that my family isn't involved."

Holly nodded in agreement. She hopped off the bed and Artemis headed for the door. He held it open for her as she walked out. Holly smiled at him but shook her head slightly, exasperated. _Always the gentleman._ Frankly, after all the... well, she thought they were beyond that.

They met up with Butler in the main foyer. Artemis briefed Butler on the situation. Holly could tell Butler didn't like what he was hearing. He automatically reverted back to his more familiar persona as Artemis's second shadow. They agreed to take the 'chance meeting' outdoors. Trouble would feel less threatened if he didn't have to enter the manor to speak with Holly and if he was at ease, this might be resolved gracefully. The three of them headed for the back terrace.

Holly had seen the terrace before, but only from the air. The night had a beautiful, star laced sky. The rain had completely dissipated and the air was just chilled enough to feel crisp. She took in the sight of the terrace from below. The foundation was made of flag stones arranged in a complex pattern. To the right, there was a large wrought-iron table with a glass top. Around it stood six wrought-iron chairs with cream colored fabric seat padding. To the left were two teak lounge chairs, the kind used for sun bathing. Holly thought of Artemis's extremely pale skin and figured he'd probably never used them a day in his life. She pretended to clear her throat, as she struggled to suppress her laughter.

Artemis approached the table and pulled a chair free while motioning for Holly to come sit. Holly walked towards him and sat down on the chair begrudgingly. Artemis pushed her chair in for her, before having a seat beside her.

"You know you make me uncomfortable with all of that." she glowered at him.

"With what?" he asked, sincerely puzzled.

"The chivalry bit. It makes me uneasy."

"Holly..." Artemis chided, "Despite your best efforts to the contrary... you, are a lady. And as such, I am obliged to treat you like one."

"You'd better!" called a voice from nowhere.

All three pairs of eyes shot to the direction they had heard the voice. Trouble Kelp shimmered into visibility.

"Commander!" Holly didn't need to act surprised. She genuinely was.

"Holl- ...Major Short. I need to speak with you. Privately."

**Chapter Notes: So Artemis would probably know what the word snogging means. I mean, he's in Ireland and that's pretty much common usage but I like to think Artemis is a little out of touch with the proles sometimes. ;) **

**I also just want to point out that I wrote this before Atlantis Complex and Eoin decided to give Artemis a new pair of jeans after I did such. There were actually a few small things that ended up in book 7 that paralleled situations I wrote about in this story like the jeans thing and Trouble being a probable rival for Holly's affection. I was highly amused by that fact. :)**

**As always - PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter goes up when this one has 10 reviews. Thank you all!**


	6. Persuasion

**A/N: Hello lovies... I am happy to present chapter 6! I left you on the edge of a cliff on chapter 5. The plot is only just beginning to thicken. As Artemis's and Holly's weekend is coming to a close, I felt it necessary to fit in another lemon for your enjoyment. :D**

**Okay, so since our characters are multi-lingual, whenever something is being said in any language other than English, it will be italicized within quotes. If a single word is not italicized within an italicized sentence, it's meant for emphasis. Hope that makes sense.**

**Thank you to my faithful followers who helped me out with the age and life span of elves. I made some adjustments to this chapter to keep it as close to cannon with the actual novels. It doesn't change any part of the plot as the feeling is still that Artemis will kick the bucket before she even gets a wrinkle... hence the depression.**

**UPDATE: The audio version of this book is still in need of voice actors! Humongous thank you to Kitsune Heart for taking on this giant project. She has asked that interested parties please go check her profile site for the voices needed and contact her directly regarding the due dates and such. **

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

"Holl- ...Major Short. I need to speak with you. Privately." Trouble Kelp said sternly, having just shimmered into visibility.

"Uh..." Holly looked over to Artemis, who's expression was stone cold, bearing right down at Kelp.

"Holly..." Artemis said as he rose from the table, "We will be right on the other side of the door if you need us." Artemis leaned over to Holly and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. He shot a glare over at Trouble. He silently dared him to defy his claim to her.

Trouble's eyes bugged out in disgust when he saw this with his very own eyes. Holly, kissed by Artemis. Artemis seemed to be pleased by his reaction as he gave him a smug smile. Butler and Artemis left the terrace to give Holly (at least the outward appearance of) privacy to deal with Trouble.

Trouble spoke rapidly in Gnommish, hoping to discourage eaves-droppers. "_Major Short...What are you_ doing _here_?" Trouble walked closer to the table where she remained seated.

"_I'm on leave, sir. May I ask why_ you _are here? Is there some sort of emergency?"_ Holly asked with mock-innocence. She noted in the back of her mind how _small_ her commander looked. Having spent several days amongst the humans, her sense of scale had been thrown off.

"_No, no… not an emergency. I just needed your help on a case, but then remembered I failed to ascertain where on the surface you'd be this weekend. It was a failure of protocol- mine of course. You took no communicator with you, so I couldn't get in touch. Short, I have to say, I'm extremely disappointed with what I've discovered here."_

Holly wondered just _how_ _much_ he knew about her and Artemis. She hoped it was _very_ little. "_Sir, I'm on approved leave. That's why I didn't take a communicator. I'm not even on-call; couldn't your question have waited until Monday? And even if it couldn't, you could have had Foaly find me. He would have seen that I was staying with Arty, and he could have got in touch with me through him. There was no need for you to go through all the trouble of coming to speak with me in person, sir."_

_Ar- Arty? Does she- She's got a fucking pet-name for him! _"Major Short, I am extremely uncomfortable with you staying in the home of a… _M__ud Man_. One that, need I remind you, has held you hostage in the past! I would highly recommend leaving, now. I have a shuttle with me. We can go back to Haven together." Trouble tried to make his voice sound warm and inviting. As soon as he came off demanding, he knew she'd lash out at him.

_"Sir, are you _ordering _me home?"_ Holly asked, audibly annoyed.

Trouble noticed the abrupt change in her tone and knew he should be wary. He didn't want Holly to think of him as her enemy. "_No, Major. It is simply a recommendation. One I wish you would seriously take into consideration_."

"_Commander, I honestly do appreciate your concern. However, I assure you it is unnecessary. Artemis poses no threat to me, nor to The People. Of this, I am certain. And as a Major under your command, you should trust my judgment, especially when it comes to the safety of a valuable officer. Even if that officer is myself."_

Trouble stiffened. She wasn't budging and he was starting to lose his cool. "_Holly - I don't like it. He's a Mud Man! What do you expect to become of it?"_ he shot at her, obviously aware there was something more than friendship between her and Artemis, and hoping to nip it whilst still in the bud- that is, before anything more serious than kissing took place. He recoiled from the disgusting thought.

Holly flinched. She honestly didn't know _what_ could become of her relationship with Artemis. All she knew was she didn't want it to end, when it had only just begun. She had never known such wanton happiness, such freedom, acceptance. And of course, delicious, raw, uninhibited passion. She felt more at home here, an elf amongst humans than at home as the only female in her branch of the LEP. Holly fought back her urge to argue as she knew this man could make her life hell if he so chose. And after all, she did like Trouble as a person. This put things into perspective. He was just sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Holly stood up and walked towards Trouble. Her expression was contrastingly soft. She tried to layer her voice with an almost maternal quality. "_Trouble -_ " She began, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He swallowed hard when he heard her address him by his first name. He was frozen. He never would have thought he'd loved the way his name sounded coming from her lips as much as he did, let alone paired with physical contact.

"_Trouble, please. I know you think of us as friends. I like to think that too. And I realize you're worried_." She slid her hand down to take his, and placed her other hand on top of it. "_Don't you think I'm old enough to make my own choices?"_ she smiled at him so sweetly that Trouble began to feel his cheeks burn.

_"Y-Yes, I suppose y-you are, Holly."_he stuttered._"So, w-what is your choice going to be?"_

_"Well, I'm going to start by finishing my very well-deserved time off as I see fit. Then I'll be at work first thing Monday to wish you good morning."_ she said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Trouble grumbled, vaguely aware of the persuasive control she held over him. Still, what more could he say? If he demanded her return now she'd have to come, but it would be with a furious tantrum just short of kicking and screaming. In fact, he wouldn't even put that past her. Or maybe it would be more like 'kicking and punching'. He knew he had lost, for now. But she was right. She'd be there Monday. He would regroup and plan for his next move.

"_Very well, Major. I do not agree with your decision, but I will respect it."_ For now._"I do expect you to report to me, first thing Monday. Also, Major..."_he slipped a small ring-style communicator from around his finger and handed it to Holly.

"_Keep this with you in case we really do have an emergency. I have no desire to contact you through Mud Boy."_

"_Thank you, Commander."_ She saluted him casually and headed back towards the door of the house. Before she could enter, Trouble called back to her.

"_Holly -_ " he started, but stopped, as Artemis stepped out and wrapped his arm around Holly's shoulders. Artemis shot him a glare letting him know he was no longer welcome.

Trouble tamed his fury and spoke quickly, still in Gnommish "_Be careful. I don't trust him."_

Artemis gave him a wicked grin. Replying to Trouble in perfect Gnommish, he said "_You needn't worry about your officer, Commander. She is always taken care of properly in my home_."

Trouble's face seized in shock. He knew Artemis had deciphered The Book, but was unaware he actually _spoke_ the language. So much for being cryptic. He gave Artemis a stiff nod and looked back at Holly. "_I'll see you Monday, then._" He turned, and walking away, shimmered out of visibility.

Holly stared after where her commander had been. She tried hard not to show she felt shaken. She still had ideas of Trouble throwing her back on Traffic, or in front of the I.A. board, or even betraying her to the Council itself. Her career wouldn't survive another hit. Besides, Trouble was a well respected _man._ If it did come to a hearing, the Council would side with him. Equality among the sexes seemed to have even less presence in Haven than the Mud Men allowed on the surface.

Artemis led Holly back inside the house. Butler was still on high alert, seemingly glued behind Artemis at all times. Holly looked towards Artemis's face and was puzzled to find it expressionless. They walked all the way back into the main foyer to the base of the steps in silence. Artemis turned to talk to Butler.

"I will have my window alarm armed tonight, as well as the door, if that gives you some piece of mind. I will _not_ reconnect the cameras. Still, I honestly don't think Commander Kelp will attempt anything further this weekend. He's made his opinion known to Holly and will wait until he has the home-court advantage; LEP Headquarters, Monday morning." he turned towards Holly as he spoke the last. "Holly, you can be quite manipulative when you want to be." Artemis was not smiling when he said this.

"Uhm, well. You gotta use what you've got, I guess." she shrugged, uncomfortable with _tactician_ Artemis.

"Really? Do you manipulate all men that way? Or is that just something you do with your Commander to get your way?" he sounded very cold.

"Artemis! That's harsh! I just got us out of a sticky situation and you turn it around like I'm some sort of vixen!" she shouted.

Artemis sighed. "You're right, Holly dear. I apologize. Very masterfully handled. You certainly do know how to make negotiations with a hostile party." he smirked.

"Yes, well... all part of LEP training. Besides," she looked back at him with a grin, "not all men are so easily persuaded."

Artemis smiled briefly at this but then remembered a certain denim garment he was wearing and began to realize Holly's power over him. _Jeans... honestly..._

* * *

Butler kindly prepared a vegetarian course for dinner that evening, in honor of Holly's company. With the entire family now clued in on exactly what Holly was, Artemis felt much more at ease with them. His mother had quelled some of his father's qualms, and ensured his muteness on the issue outside their home.

"It isn't the type of thing I'd _brag_ about-" he'd implored, "no, wait, yes it is."

Over dinner, the twins begged Holly and Artemis to tell them more about how they had switched eyes. Artemis told a very edited version for them, though it still seemed to enrapture them just as much as it did their father. Holly was still a little uncomfortable being so casual around a group of humans. Never mind the fact that these humans were Artemis's family, and were now very much aware of the _nature_ of their relationship. She was quiet unless directly addressed.

"Holly, darling?" Angeline spoke up.

"Mm, yes?" Holly gulped down a mouthful of food.

"How is dinner? Are you comfortable here? Is there anything else we can do for you?" Angeline unleashed the full force of motherly concern on her.

"Oh, yes. Everything's great. Thank you...Angeline." She still felt a little strange calling her by her first name.

Artemis Senior spoke up. "So, Arty, I see Holly is having a positive effect on your weekend wardrobe." he smiled, leaning in Holly's direction. "I wonder what it took to get him into jeans, eh?" he posed, full of innuendo. Both Angeline and Artemis shot him a menacing scowl.

Changing the topic, he addressed Holly directly. "Holly, why don't you tell us more about yourself?"

"S-sure. Well, my parents both passed when I was young. My mother, more recently. She was a scientist. She died in a submarine... accident." Of course she didn't want to tell them the full details of that story, especially how she'd sworn her revenge on the humans. "I decided to join the LEP- er, our police force, in order to see justice for the People. I joined the academy right out of school. I was one of only three female cadets out of 157 to enter that year. Before the first term was up, the other two had quit. One couldn't handle the stress of being a minority in the vast field, and the other became partnered with another cadet, and they both left. I ended up graduating and getting into the Reconnaissance unit, and I'm the only female officer there to this day. I've been promoted several times, currently serving as a Major." _That pretty much sums it up..._

Artemis's family was entirely silent. Even Artemis didn't know this much about her past. He knew she had lost her parents at the young age, but that was about it. He knew that she was the only female in Recon, but not that there were so few females in the force in general. Artemis began to have mixed feelings regarding that. On the one hand, it showed how strong her character was. She must have had to put up with a lot of discrimination throughout her career. However, on the other hand, he pondered the fact that she was a strong and beautiful female working among many men. Trouble Kelp probably wasn't the only one who had a special admiration for her. _Maybe,_ he thought for the first time, _I'm not the first to bed her, either…_

"Well, Holly. It sounds like you live quite the life. Though, I am sorry to hear about your parents." Artemis Senior said sympathetically. He wasn't surprised his son was involved with someone in law enforcement. _I_ _wonder how they met,_ he sarcastically mused.

"Oh, thank you. It was a while ago now. My mother's been gone for… oh, well over twenty years now." Holly said flatly while she put another bite of food into her mouth.

Artemis blanched. His parents didn't know about the life-span of elves. What would they think when they found out she was older than his grandmother?

"Twenty years?" Artemis himself was only 19, and this elf-girl didn't look like she was any older than him. "Holly... how old are you now- if you don't mind me asking?" said Artemis Senior, almost dispensing with politeness. Angeline was too engrossed to admonish him.

"Oh! Well, I'm...87. But that's like 20 for you folks. Elves live roughly ten times longer than the average human, sometimes longer, though we reach maturity well before 100. I'm also one of the youngest Major's in the force." Holly felt suddenly embarrassed to acknowledge the huge age difference between herself and Artemis, even though biologically speaking it wasn't such a large gulf.

"TEN times?..." Artemis Senior was genuinly stunned. The twins, who weren't paying much attention until now, spoke up.

"Wow, Holly you're old." said Beckett.

"Beckett!" Artemis growled at him. "Watch your mouth!"

Holly laughed, just a little uncomfortable. "No, Arty. He's right. To you folks, I am old. I can't imagine a police academy for humans taking 20 years to graduate from. You'd have no time left to _start_ a career." Her eyes were glued to her lap while she spoke. Not because she had been called 'old', but she knew everyone would put it together now- exactly what had her so depressed. She was already three generations older than Artemis and she'd still outlive him by several _dozen_ more at least. Artemis's entire life would be nothing more than a footnote in her long history…

With that uncomfortable statement, Artemis stood from the table, taking his napkin from his lap and dropped it on top of his plate in a rather abrupt fashion. "I believe I am finished. Thank you for dinner. My deepest apologies, but I must be excused, now. Holly - " he turned towards her "I don't mean to rush you. Please take your time. I'll be upstairs if you're looking for me." Artemis left the table despite his mother's disapproving glare.

"Forgive him, Holly. He was an only child for so long and we weren't around for him when he was young. Sometimes he just doesn't know how to treat others." Angeline tried to rationalize her son's poor manners.

Holly said nothing. She could tell he was upset. She looked back at her half eaten portion of food and decided to stay and finish, to give him some space. He was probably trying to suppress this thought just as much as she was. Maybe he had just put together why she was crying in the barn earlier.

Upstairs, Artemis stomped into his room, trying hard to refrain from slamming his door like a moody teenager. After shutting it, still rather loudly, Artemis sat at his desk and booted up his laptop. He gazed blankly at the screen for a time, seeing nothing. After a while he pulled up his e-mail and typed at a rapid pace. Holly knocked quietly before opening the door. Artemis hit 'Send' and closed the computer.

"Artemis?" Holly peeked in.

"Yes love, come in." He rose to walk towards her. "I'm so sorry I abandoned you like that. That was very rude of me. I just… recalled something very important I needed to attend to. I hope my family didn't interrogate you further?" he spoke will all kindness, his anger seemingly disappeared. He wrapped his arms around her warmly.

"No, Arty. Your family is lovely. Honest. It just makes me a little depressed sometimes, you know. Since I… never had that, myself."

Artemis was momentarily speechless. Instead, he bent down and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't know that would bother you. If it would make you feel any better, you are welcome to take my family." Artemis said smiling.

Holly gave him a small smile in return. It had been a very long day. Physically and emotionally, she was very nearly spent. "Arty?"

"Yes?"

"If you don't mind, I think I'm going to get ready for bed. I'm actually kinda tired."

"Of course. I'll join you shortly. I just need to speak with Butler." Artemis kissed her forehead, and left.

Holly was glad he seemed to be in better spirits. She was worried what his reaction would be after their encounter with Trouble Kelp. She had expected him to become moody. She was glad to see he only acted like his normally smug self. Trouble had looked like he was going to crap a brick when Artemis kissed her on the cheek, and then have a heart attack when he heard him speak Gnommish. She smiled at the memory. Her smile faded when she imagined Monday morning. She was going to get a thorough chewing out.

Deciding to change for bed, she removed her pants, then her shirt. And as her own arm passed her view, she noticed she still wore the stupid communicator on her finger. She had it on the whole time at dinner, and in fact, hadn't taken it off since Kelp forced it on her. She yanked it off now and set it on a nightstand. She rifled through her bag for night wear, and pulled out a red silk cami, slipping it over her head. She had just finished her nightly routine in the bathroom when she heard the door to the room open and close. She peered out of the open bathroom door to see Artemis looking rather upset. Her eyebrows furrowed together with concern. She hopped down from the chair she was using to access the sink, and paced cautiously towards him.

"Everything okay?" she asked him.

Artemis forced a smile. "Of course. I'm with you now, aren't I?" He now noticed what she was wearing. The tiny bright red camisole draped over her body accentuated her small, pert breasts and flowed over the curves of her hips, landing softly upon her upper thigh. She was absolutely stunning. Artemis's forced smile became one of genuine warmth.

Artemis bent down to kiss her gently on the top of her head. "Let's go to bed. I am dying to get out of these infernal jeans."

"Thank you for humoring me with that. Still, you should know you do look really good in them." Holly smiled.

"Even so, leaving them on would make certain tasks... rather difficult." he smirked at her.

Holly's eyes narrowed. _What a horny little bugger... _she mused.

Still she managed to collect her reaction and reply with a coy smile, "Why, _Master_ Fowl, you wouldn't." she tried to hold in her snicker while feigning a bashful smile.

Artemis's smirk disappeared rapidly as his expression darkened. His nostrils flared and the rise and fall of his chest was quite visible as his breathing sped up.

"Holly - " his voice already sounding strained "That sounds... enticing, coming from your lips."

"What?" Holly acted as if she didn't know. Artemis did view her as _his_. Not that he was necessarily wrong about that. "Master Fowl?" she asked, acting innocent.

That elicited a low growl from the back of his throat, as he scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Holly was laughing, but tried desperately to stay 'in character'. She gently pushed against his chest as he lowered himself over her slight form to kiss her neck.

"Oh...Master Fowl...no... You mustn't..." Holly couldn't fight her smile while she acted her cliché lines.

"Actually... I must, Miss Short. You deserve to be chastised yet again, for failing to wear your maid uniform to work." He smiled against the skin of her neck as his fingers gently traced up from her ankle to her mid-thigh where her camisole hung.

"My maid uniform, sir?" she giggled.

"Of course. All my staff are required to wear a uniform to work." he rasped as he took her earlobe between his lips and nipped and sucked at it gently.

Holly reigned in her fit of laughter. Artemis sure was _imaginative._ Of course, being a rich kid, he had, and actually still did have, domestic staff at his command. Still, she couldn't help but imagine herself, in a skimpy French maid's outfit, bent over him while he sat in his office chair, sucking him off in hopes of a fat Christmas bonus.

Holly couldn't contain her squeal any longer. The mental image had done her in. _All right, I'll play along. _she thought. _This will only make my revenge all the sweeter…_

"Forgive me, Master Fowl. I had torn it yesterday, and hadn't the chance to repair it." Holly batted her eyes with all naiveté. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Artemis smiled at her serious tone, seeing she was going to play along after all. But suddenly turning serious himself, he said "You can start by removing this garment. If you are not in uniform, then you shall be in nothing at all." His hand slid under the hem of her camisole, and worked its way up her thigh, and then over her hip.

Holly's breath hitched as his hands touched her bare skin, all giddiness forgotten. She briefly forgot her role as his hand smoothed over the peak of her breast. She pushed herself against his touch as she moaned "Oh, Artemis..."

Artemis quickly retracted his hand entirely from her body. Holly looked up at him, confused. Artemis only stared down at her with the darkest of expressions. Cocking an eyebrow, he said in an icy tone "I'm sorry Miss Short, but what did you just call me?"

_You damn, smug, bastard. You are so going to pay..._"I'm sorry, _Master_ Fowl. Please, let me be of _any_ service to you."

Artemis pushed her towards the middle of the bed so that he was entirely over her. He sat back on his knees to look down at her slight form splayed out in the middle of his bed, his for the taking. He rubbed his chin as he looked at her thoughtfully. "Miss Short..." he said, sternly. "Sit up."

Holly blinked at his command, but did as she was told, rising to her knees, and faced towards him.

"Raise your arms." he commanded. He now tried to keep a disinterested expression on his face.

Again, she obliged and lifted her arms above her head. Artemis swiftly grabbed the bottom of the camisole and pulled it up over her head, and completely free from her body. He tossed the garment aside and almost smiled approvingly at her bare bronze body. "Now, stand."

Confused, Holly stood up on the bed. She wasn't sure what he was planning. She eyed him suspiciously.

He reached for her hips and slid down her red panties. He guided her hands to his shoulders for balance, as he lifted each leg out of her last remaining piece of clothing. With that removed, she stood before him entirely naked, unsure what his next move would be. He was still dressed, and Holly found the contrast between them extremely erotic. Artemis saw a bead of moisture run down her inner thigh.

"Excellent, Miss Short." He said in an even tone, and leaning back on his arms, "Now come here and unbutton my pants."

_Bloody Fucking Hell... I've created a monster..._

Holly closed the gap between her and Artemis, and dropping to her knees, reached for his fly. She could already see his erection straining beneath it, begging for release. She unbuttoned and dragged the zipper down as ordered and looked back at him for his next command.

"Well done. Now you may touch me."

Holly's expression twisted as she fought to contain her thought from slipping from her mouth. _I "may"? You cocky son of a..._

"Yes sir. Thank you." she said tightly, and slipped a soft hand under the band of his bulging boxers to find his throbbing cock. She wrapped her hand around it, but pumped it roughly. Artemis tensed at the harsh touch. He fought with every ounce of self restraint left in him. He needed to remain in control.

"Stop at once." he ordered. Holly, surprised by his words, only slowed her movement, and failed to remove her hand from within his pants.

"I told you to stop, Miss Short. It would be a shame if you had to work weekends and holidays, wouldn't it?" he glared at her.

_I couldn't 'actually' work for this man...I'd probably have smacked that cocky grin off his face a couple of times by now_she thought, grinning_._

"My apologies, Master Fowl." she said calmly as she removed her hand entirely.

"Very good. Now, lie back."

Holly conceded, and Artemis's hands found their way back to her body, sliding up her copper thighs. Holly laid still, enjoying his touch, but also wondering what the next move in his game was.

"Miss Short,..." his voice coming huskily, "You've been very obedient. You deserve to be rewarded."

Holly smirked. "How kind of you, sir."

Artemis began to place worshipful kisses up her legs, her hip, across her soft abdomen, towards her navel. When his mouth reached the destination, his tongue swirled along the inside of her belly button, causing her abdominal muscles to clench. His hands came back to her thighs, and he pulled her legs apart, granting him the fullest access possible to her dripping heat.

Once Holly realized his intentions, she automatically started to grind her hips towards him. Artemis steadied her as he pinned her thighs apart, her knees bent at her chest. She couldn't help curling her bare toes as his hair tickled her legs, held firmly in place. His kisses trailed down from her navel, into the soft auburn hair above her womanhood. Holly began to moan as she felt his hot breath against her sensitive skin. Even crying out as his tongue probed the skin surrounding her folds, and nipped at her skin here and there- though, so far, nothing but his breath had actually touched her sex. This was sweet, delicious torture, and she tried to muffle her cries, remembering that she was supposed to be quiet. Artemis wouldn't have it.

"Oh no, Holly. You _will_ scream for me. The boys are in their bedroom downstairs and my parents are in the suite upstairs. The only one on this level is Butler and he's all the way down the hall in the study. You have no excuse to keep those exquisite sounds from me."

Holly began to writhe as his mouth attended to her pussy. His tongue made a firm circuit around her lips, exploring her wet folds, before lapping up the entire length several times, savoring her warm flesh. He buried his face in her mound and pushed into her entrance to find her walls were already beginning to spasm. Again and again he would drive her to this brink, then back off, before gently nursing her up to it again. Her moans increased in volume and he could taste her arousal becoming stronger. His lips completely encompassed her engorged clit and sucked on it mercilessly. Holly's screams reverberated off the walls of Artemis's bedroom and he slackened his pace once again.

Artemis released her from his lips and she groaned at the loss. He smiled at her reaction and decided to bring his fingers into play. First just his upturned index, lightly tracing around her inner lips, before sliding into her core. Holly inhaled a sharp breath at the sudden penetration but recovered quickly, returning to her lust-filled moans. Removing his finger half-way, he added a second and penetrated her gently, allowing her time to stretch, to accommodate his hand. At a torturously slow pace, he pumped his fingers into her, caressing her upper ridges, and pressing deeply into the soft spot directly beyond them.

"Holly - " his voice was completely ragged. "I have one last order for you tonight... You must come for me."

Her eyes cinched even more tightly closed upon hearing his command. Holly's body was completely arched, tense, and glistening with sweat. She tried to buck against his fingers to gain more friction. Her arms were knotted into the covers and Artemis kept her pinned with his other arm against her thighs. While keeping both his fingers still moving slowing inside her, he brought his mouth back down to her clit and sucked it gently. The double stimulation was pushing her over the edge and she groaned out for him.

"Ple… ase...Hard… er... _fuck!"_ she shouted.

Artemis pressed his tongue harder against her clit as he drove in the thrusts. He could feel her walls closing down on his fingers and relentlessly flicked the tip of her bud with the tip of his tongue. The wet sounds filled her ears, and Holly screamed as she came. Her body endlessly spilling out its gratitude, which he accepted into his mouth. He continued to press his fingers firmly against her sweet spot until the waves of her orgasm had completely overtaken her body.

He withdrew his fingers from her now hyper-sensitive area and wiped his face on his shirt. He smiled down at her completely spent form, still twitching with pleasure, and pride beamed from his eyes.

"Miss Short, you follow orders very well." He chuckled, continuing to stay in character.

When Holly's mind returned to her and she was able to make a coherent sentence, she huffed out "Shit... I think I'll forget my uniform more often."

He laid down beside her and gently ran his fingers through her short, auburn hair. Holly let out a sated sigh as his finger traced its way around her sharply tipped ear. As her high came down, settling to a comfortable buzz, she smirked and ran her hands down his chest.

"Why, thank you, Master Artemis. But I have not been of any service to you." her grin was absolutely wicked.

"Holly, you really don't have to - " he began to say but Holly interrupted him. This was his game. He had to play right to the end.

"No, I really feel I must. You see, I was hoping to receive a large Christmas bonus this year, so... perhaps I can assist you in getting ready for bed?" she playfully asked.

Artemis laughed at her comment. _What kind of employer am I?_he mused.

"I suppose that would be acceptable." he said, returning to character.

"Very good, sir." Holly pushed against him, motioning him to get off the bed. He slid down the edge and stood, facing towards her. Holly climbed to her feet on the bed, standing shakily at first, in front of him. He relinquished his Polo and it joined Holly's camisole on the floor. Holly crooked her eyebrow at him. "I thought I was helping you?"

"Hmm. I think you can help me with something else." a smile creeping at the corners of his mouth.

"Do tell." she lowered her mouth to his. Standing on the high bed this way, she was actually an inch taller than him. He held her body against his bare chest as she took his tongue into her mouth. She angled her mouth to give him better access which he eagerly utilized. His hands ran down her back until he reached her ass, cupping a warm cheek in each palm. Holly used her toe to push down the waist of his jeans. She wasn't very successful in removing anything but her intention was duly noted.

"Mmm... I think I'll show you." Artemis let his hands slide from her ass down to her calves. His soft caress became a firm grasp and he pulled her legs out from under her and she fell on her back against the bed, bouncing up once from the force, before landing, stunned.

"Ack!" Holly shrieked in delight. She was planning on getting him into his chair, to play out her own little fantasy, but this was just as good. Artemis seemed amused by her reaction. Still holding her calves, he pulled her body towards him until her butt was hanging at the edge of the bed. He ripped off his now offensive jeans along with his boxers and grabbed Holly's legs again. Suddenly, his lust-filled eyes turned to those of concern.

"Holly, you're not too sore for this, are you?" He was a little sore, actually, himself. "We don't have to - "

Holly gave him a wicked smile, not letting him finish. "I'm an elf, hot shot. I heal up quickly."

"Glad to hear it." he smiled down at her. He grabbed her hips, angling them up towards his painfully throbbing erection. He released his right hand from her hip to used it to released some of the strain he was feeling. He positioned himself at her entrance but hesitated. He worried if she was being honest with him. After all, this would be the third time today, and she was an elf. She wasn't exactly built to accommodate a _human_ male, let alone multiple times in a single day.

Holly noticed this hesitation and knew he was over-thinking things again. She could feel the tip of his member gently pressed into her folds, throbbing there, and knew he wanted this just as badly as she did. Whatever he was mulling over in his head could wait for later. Holly's legs, now free, wrapped around his waist and she tried with all her strength to bring him into her. Artemis snapped back to reality as he realized what she was doing. Smiling with approval, he slowly pushed inside her completely until he could feel he had completely filled her. Holly's lustful moans started up again, desperately urging him to move.

His hesitation was ill-founded, she was entirely relaxed, and so slick he had no trouble sinking all the way home. He started to quicken his pace, thrusting with more urgency than usual. Holly mewled and murmured as the ridge of his cock dragged across every sensitive point that set her body on fire. Faster, he pushed into her as she began to scream his name once again.

"Artemis! I..._fuck_...Harder... I want... harder!" she managed to get out her request between her panting breaths.

"As you wish." Artemis plowed into her full force, releasing his full, animalistic lust on her. His expression was absolutely feral. Holly screamed out in her euphoria.

Holly clenched her walls around him, trying to milk him of everything he had left. Before he got the chance, she came hard around his shaft, the spasms reverberating though his member and his entire body. Artemis had to keep from collapsing, as a mind-blowing orgasm struck him too- though almost nothing came out of him, he having emptied all of his juices into her body earlier that day. He panted heavily over Holly and felt a single bead of sweat drop from the tip of his nose into the valley of her breasts.

Artemis reluctantly withdrew himself from her and collapsed beside her on the bed. Holly crawled toward him and rested her head on his heaving chest. He tried desperately to catch his breath, as Holly listened to his heart hammering away in his chest. Once he seemed to have regained some sense, Holly buried her face in his neck.

She brought her mouth to his ear, and in a most sultry voice she asked "So, do I get my bonus?"

Artemis managed to huff out a chuckle at her question. "Holly, I would give you the world."

* * *

Below the surface, in the darkened and empty LEP headquarters, Trouble Kelp cut the audio feed. He had placed a whisper sensitive bug in the communicator now in Holly's possession. Trouble already nursed down half a bottle of vodka, removed from lock-down, once confiscated from some smuggler. Elves were not known for their ability to hold their liquor, and Trouble was now pissed in more ways than one. Initially, he had planned to go easy on Holly, giving her the benefit of the doubt. Now, he could see all too clearly that she had played him like a fiddle. _She was just buttering me up to leave, so she could go back to fucking that monster!_Trouble grabbed the bottle and threw it with hateful force against his office door. It shattered into thousands of pieces, raining vodka and shards of glass onto the floor.

Trouble was absolutely disgusted, sickened and actually hurt. He wiped the tear from his eye that betrayed his true feelings for his subordinate officer and made a vow. She would not be allowed to throw caution to the wind, having a _sexual_ relationship with a cursed Mud Man. With his new evidence, Trouble knew he would get the Council on his side.

He'd have them both wiped. Such a relationship could not be allowed to exist.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: OMG! Imagine hearing THAT! Poor Trouble...is this going to push him over the edge?**

**So what did everyone think? You likey? Please review! You know the deal: Next chapter after this one gets 10 reviews!**


	7. Revenge

**A/N: Okay, so in this chappy, is my final lemon for Arty and Holly's weekend. I will warn you all that it has mild bondage themes with Dominatrix Holly. This is by far, one of my most favorite of the lemons I've written for this story. :D**

**So this is a little fluffy at the beginning but it's very important to the plot. Again, this chapter will leave you hangin'. Mwa ha ha ha ha...**

**Disclaimer: E.O. owns AF, no copyright infringement intended**

* * *

Artemis and Holly lay in bed, quite tired. It was dark, and only the moonlight cast a long, dim streak across the room, like an inverted shadow. Yet, not wanting to waste any of their time together, they fought sleep by talking. Mostly about nothing in particular, but Artemis began asking for more about her youth, her parents and several other random topics that sprung to mind. Holly tried to answer everything, though her eyelids were becoming heavy.

"Holly?"

"Yeah?" Holly let out a huge yawn.

"You said something at dinner that I've been pondering."

Holly suddenly became more alert. She recalled the Fowl family dinner. She had brought up her age and life span, in front of his family. Did he really want to have _this_ talk right now? She was already trying to find an answer for Trouble's question, of where she honestly thought this relationship would lead. Surprise took her when Artemis's question came out completely unrelated.

"You mentioned two other females who were in the academy with you." Artemis started.

"Oh, yes. What about them?" _Phew…_

"You said one dropped out having partnered with another cadet. What did you mean by that?" He asked.

"Oh, umm... You know, they bonded together. I guess humans would call it marriage, but it's… different." Holly laughed, uncomfortable with her vague answer.

"Different? Elaborate." Artemis had read something about partnering in The Book, but as with everything written there, it was in lyric and symbolism. He never paid it much attention since it didn't pertain to his immediate interests at the time. Besides, he wanted to hear Holly's explanation.

"Okay, well..." Holly propped herself on an elbow, facing him while she tried hard to put something so foreign in terms that would make sense to him. "It's like a spiritual tying…or weaving?" she questioned her choice of words. "I don't know... maybe that's not right."

Artemis huffed. He never had trouble finding words, and her limited lexicon wore his patience. "Can you describe the process? Is there some sort of ceremony?"

"Well, there's a ceremony, of course, but it's nothing like your weddings. I mean, c'mon..._vows?_ Pfff. Humans can't even keep appointments." Holly said, thick with disdain.

Artemis's face contorted into an indignant scowl. "My parents have been married—_happily_ mind you—for more than two decades! That's quite an achievement for humans. Why, that's a quarter of our entire lifespan!"

"Sorry... I meant _most_ humans. There _are_ those among you with redeeming qualities. Still, you have to admit, statistically, humans aren't known for keeping promises. Let alone to stick with someone _til death do they part._"

Artemis was well aware of the statistical data. It was true. Barely over 50% of marriages in developed nations had a chance. The rest were almost guaranteed to end in divorce. Still, he was slightly offended that she would use this evidence to write off the scruples of his entire race.

"So your 'partnering' is more permanent, then?" he asked, incredulous.

"Of course. We do everything better." She allowed herself a smug grin. Artemis just rolled his eyes.

"For one thing," she began, "it's not just about making a thin promise of commitment legally binding. It's like, the two are _literally_ bound together. It's a _huge _deal. Not even my parents were partnered. Otherwise, I'd have been orphaned at an even younger age!" Holly paused after saying this and gazed over his shoulder, lost in thought.

"Your parents weren't...partnered?" Artemis asked, uncomfortable with how easily she confessed this. He wondered how elves viewed this kind of parentage.

"No, they just dated a while. I guess I was an… 'unexpected guest'."

"How would you have be orphaned sooner? Does the partnering process adversely affect lifespan for the parties involved?"

_Leave to Artemis to burden a beautiful thing with a mere textbook description _Holly thought. "Yes, it has an alarming affect on life span. It's like, hmm… taking one's life force, or spirit, soul... whatever you want to call it and braiding it with the soul of the other. You see? So when one cord is cut, the whole rope unravels. Both 'parties' would... die. Simultaneously. Does that make sense?" Holly questioned, hoping she managed to capture the significant meaning of partnering, beyond it's physical consequences.

Artemis's eyes widened with amazement. "How is that possible?"

"Well, with magic. Of course, it needs to be performed by a warlock. Since we've only had the medical warlocks all this time, which are elves, naturally only elves could complete the process. For instance, Foaly and Caballine couldn't be partnered. Though they are legally married... in the same sense that your parents are." she explained. "Though, in their case, I wonder if No.1 could..." Holly's voice trailed off with her thought. "In any case, it's an incredibly powerful spell. Both partners must be _completely_ filled with magic, so the warlock can read and transfer the energy from the one into the other, and vice versa. Because of that, most partnering ceremonies take place under full moons."

"So, _both_ participants have to be filled with magic?"

"Yes..." she replied.

" …Fascinating."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Well..." Artemis started, before the silence suffocated them, "you're right. It does sound more... significant... than our simple marriage vows."

"Artemis." she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Why did you ask?" Holly murmured apprehensively.

"Just… curious. I value your perspective on fairy culture. And how am I supposed to get to know you, without knowing your background?"

"Oh, okay." She reigned in her heart rate, which had been at a steady trot this whole time.

Another silence fell upon them, neither knowing how to revive the conversation. Giving up, Holly leaned towards Artemis and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight." she spoke softly against him.

"Goodnight, Holly." his smile appeared strained to her, though it could have been the dim light in the room.

Holly rolled onto her side, facing away from Artemis. The drapes were pulled from the window, and it was a beautiful, clear night. Holly stared out at the bright stars and the three-quarter moon, waning from its full state the last time she was topside. She felt stoic, knowing this was her last night on the surface, with no idea when she could come back. She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Artemis's arm wrap around her waist. He pulled her body tight to his chest but said nothing. She could feel his breathing against her hair, but it came in erratic, quiet gasps. Holly's heart sank. If he was falling apart, she had no hope of keeping herself together.

"I don't want you to leave." his broken whisper was so quiet she wouldn't have heard it, if he wasn't so close.

"Artemis." she found his hand and laced her fingers through his. They laid in dim quiet, until Holly felt Artemis's breath coming slow and steady. She turned around in his arms. Sure enough, he was fast asleep. She found her limit when she saw the slightly dried tears on his cheeks. She buried her face against him and fought uselessly against her own.

"Fix this, genius." she silently sobbed against his sleeping form.

* * *

The bright morning light seared into the room through the open drapes. Holly groaned, not ready to be awake. She buried her face in her pillow, _willing_ it not to be Sunday already. She was leaving that evening. The merciless sun drove away the last of her sleep. She groaned again. Holly looked at Artemis lying beside her, still asleep... comatose, even. In fact, if it wasn't for the minimal color in his face (which wasn't much, being him), and the slight rise and fall of his chest, she could imagine he was dead. _Wow...can he sleep _Holly mused.

There was almost an audible click, as the fabulous idea came together in her mind. _If I have to leave today, may as well do it with a 'bang'! It's time… to exact… r e v e n g e._

Holly wriggled out from under Artemis's limp arms and slid down off the bed. She began rummaging through his wardrobe for what she needed for her evil plan. She found exactly what she was looking for, and pulled them from the closet. She got straight to work with the preparations, finding she couldn't keep the Cheshire grin from her face as she toiled. _This wouldn't have worked if you didn't sleep like a corpse, dear Arty..._

Artemis wandered through a vague dream, he was being thrown in jail, having forgotten to pay some fine, and a small, pointy-eared police officer was putting him in handcuffs. It was hazy, but all too real, Still, it wasn't enough to pierce the fog of sleep. It was only when he felt a slight pressure, a weight on his chest, inhibiting his breathing that he stirred. Or at least, tried to. His mind jerked its way towards consciousness. Still horribly groggy, Artemis ordered his eyes to open, but they had to squint in the oppressive morning light that flooded the room. He felt Holly's lips press against his ever so softly. Blinking hard several times, his eyes came into something like focus. He found Holly, on top of him, straddling his chest. No doubt she was the pressure he had felt.

"Good morning, sweetie." Holly whispered against his lips as she kissed him again.

"Good morning" he tried to say around her lips. Relieved to be out of jail, he wanted to wrap his arms around her. But… couldn't. Again, he was confused by his firm immobility.

Holly watched him, vainly tugging his arms as the restraints pulled against the bed frame. Holly's warm smile became a devilish grin and a low, maniacal chuckle started in her throat.

Artemis's eyes flew open, all hint of sleep disappearing in an instant. He pulled again at his arms but realized they were tied to… something. The bed! He shot Holly a bewildered look. "Holly! What have you done?" The panic was evident in his voice.

A full, throaty laugh roared from her chest as she stood, towering above him, her feet planted on each side of his waist. He gazed at her body, completely nude, except for...

Artemis shot a woeful glance at his left wrist. It was as he suspected. Holly had used several of his silk neck ties to restrain his wrists, one to each of the headboard's posts. He looked back at her, perplexed, and helpless. Her impossibly evil grin grew more ferocious, as she stood over him, hands on her hips, and a black tie around her neck- in a perfect double Windsor knot.

"Holly! What are you… what's the… meaning of this!" he shouted at her while fruitlessly heaving against his restraints.

He froze when Holly sat down against his abdomen. Her legs completely spread wide, displaying her womanhood to him, enticing him cruelly with something he couldn't touch. She reached behind her with one small hand and wrapped it tightly around his already erect member.

Artemis shuddered at her touch but just stared back at her, dazed.

"I knew you'd be happy to see me, Arty." she pouted as she slid her hand down his shaft.

Artemis groaned. "Firstly,..." he started, through strained breaths, "I'm always happy to see you." He grunted as she pumped him again, the mischievous grin returning. "Secondly," he gasped, "_that_ is an unavoidable natural state many young men experience first thing in the morning. The technical term is 'nocturnal penile tumescence', otherwise-" he gasped.

"Maybe it _was_... but I think you're quite awake now." She continued to pump his length, quite pleased that it grew harder in her hand. "I think your body has had time to re-circulate your blood by now... if it wanted to."

"Why are you doing this?" Artemis's eyes cinched tightly closed as he endured the tantalizing, tormenting touch.

"Why?" Holly put on the most adorable, wide-eyed, innocent face. She put the finger of her unoccupied hand against her pouted lips as if she was pondering something. The expression literally twisted into a smile so evil-looking, she could have only learned it from him. "Well, you know what they say, Arty..." she leaned in, an inch from his terrified face. "Payback's a bitch..._Master_ Fowl."

Artemis swallowed hard. He knew this was coming. He should have expected something like this from her. Did he honestly think Holly would let him dominate her without repercussions? Now he was even anxious, not knowing what kind of torture she had in store for him. _Shit..._

Releasing her hold on him, she brought herself to her hands and knees, and crawled backwards. Very purposefully, her wet center grazed the tip of his erection. Artemis writhed under her, his face clenched tight. She slithered down his body, placing open-mouthed kisses along the center of his chest descending towards his navel.

Artemis groaned as he fought roughly against his restraints. The force caused the headboard to creak and it banged loudly as it rebounded off the wall. "Holly! Untie me at once! This is… inhumane!" he bellowed as her mouth, at last, reached its destination. She took his stiff cock in both hands and lapped a small drop of pre-cum from the head. "You want me to stop?"

Artemis threw his head back, pure ecstasy in the anticipated touch of her tongue. "Oh God, yes..." he moaned.

"Yes?" Holly let go of him and looked up, feigning surprise. She knew his reaction wasn't in response to her question.

"NO!" he yelled, feeling the loss of her touch most wretchedly.

She crooked her eyebrow at him. "Hmm… I thought not. But you better watch your volume, love. I'd hate to have to gag you." she smiled as she licked her lips. Artemis made an audible whimper.

She placed her lips to his straining erection. As she swirled her tongue around his cock, his hips inadvertently jerked shallow thrusts into her mouth. She sucked against his length while pumping the base with her hand. Artemis looked down at her head bobbing against him and moaned loudly. After a few minutes of her oral ministrations, she felt him tensing, close to climax. She released her hold of him, and withdrew his member to look at his face. It became untwisted as he opened his eyes to look back at her. She smirked at how pleading his eyes looked.

Holly was no where near done torturing him, however, and crawled back up to his torso. Grinning, she repeated the tease of dragging his tip across her pussy as it passed over, and straddled his stomach. Angling her very wet entrance to be in full view for him, she plunged her middle finger into herself. Artemis's panted, now painfully aroused by her bold actions. She added her index finger and pumped hard into her slit. Her hips gyrated under her own hand and the moans she elicited were absolutely hypnotic.

Artemis thrashed under her, still pulling against the unrelenting restraints. The headboard slammed loudly against the wall with each tug. Holly knew they were being too loud, but was enjoying herself far too much to care. He screamed and groaned incoherently at her. Smiling, she scooted up his chest, smearing her arousal, and brought her hot dripping center within inches of his face.

She looked at him with heavily lidded eyes. "Artemis," she said in a sinfully sultry voice. "This is what you do to me." She brought her moistened fingers to his mouth and painted her juices across his lips. And then, she slapped him hard across the face.

Artemis was stunned, but upon regaining himself he pulled against his restraints so hard that she swore the crack she heard was either the headboard or the plaster behind it. She wasn't planning on causing any physical damage, and knew Artemis was at his breaking point when he cursed at her.

"Fuck, woman! Stop tormenting me!" he roared.

_I guess he's learned his lesson._ Satisfied with her work, she slid back, lifted herself, and brought her soaked opening down, painfully slow, enveloping his throbbing erection. She slid home, and Artemis bucked furiously beneath her, but she refused to move. She loved that she could evoke such violent behavior from her normally stoic lover.

While keeping him sheathed within her, Holly positioned herself on her knees. She stimulated her clit and slowly began to move against him. Artemis winced at her tortuously slow movement and cried out to her in his frustration.

"God, Holly...please..." he panted, his face flush with agony.

_Oh, look at that. I made him beg._ she thought coyly. Not wanting to be rude, she quickened her pace on him. She quickly flicked her clit between each thrust she drove into herself. Her walls began to close as she felt her impending climax calling to her. She desperately wanted to come around him and pushed herself to the edge. She threw herself down, impaling herself on him as her ass hammered rhythmically against his hips. She was so close. Holly forgot all about being quiet when her orgasm attacked.

"Ahhh...Fuck! Artemis! Yesssss!" She screamed out in raw pleasure as her juices cascaded over his stomach.

The tightening of her walls in orgasm along with her delicious scream threw him right over the brink. His orgasm exploded inside of her, and poured down her inner thighs, pooling at his hips. Relief and exhaustion overtook him, and he appeared to pass out.

Holly panted over him for a minute before regaining herself. She smiled at her work. Artemis was fucked senseless.

She eased herself from their coupling and climbed up his body to untie him. As she released his right arm he startled her, suddenly and violently alert, by grabbing her necktie to yank Holly's face down over his own.

In a voice low and fierce, Artemis snarled "If you _ever_ do that again, _with or without_ provocation, I. Will. Make. You. Pay." Holly's stunned expression turned into a sly smirk.

"I most certainly hope so." she purred.

She freed his left arm and he sat up, rubbing his wrists. They were raw and even blistered in places. Holly smiled sweetly at him and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to cause you any damage." She placed her hands around his wrists and rubbed them gently. "But you _so_ deserved it." she giggled. With her hands still around his wrists, she closed her eyes, and summoned her magic to her fingers. "Heal" she whispered as blue sparks danced around the red chaff marks, making them disappear.

Artemis starred down in wonder. Even though he'd seen it so many times, her magic never ceased to amaze him. "What about my face?" he asked. His cheek was still a livid pink and slightly swollen.

"Oh I'm leaving that." She said, releasing his wrists. "You earned it."

An approving smile finally graced his face. "I have clearly… underestimated you, Holly."

Holly smiled back playfully but her face changed to shock as she looked beyond him. A ten-inch long crack snaked up the wall above the headboard. Artemis turned to see what she was looking at and noticed the crack immediately.

"I'm going to have fun explaining that." he said, sarcastically.

* * *

Artemis readjusted the heads in the shower to be more accommodating for someone of Holly's stature. Holly enjoyed the shower immensely. The water was soothing against her sore muscles, not to mention it was so much faster than filling that small pool Artemis called a tub.

Holly reflected on all the enjoyable and pleasant experiences she had that weekend. She tried so hard to only focus on those positive thoughts, but still her depression loomed. Fears she had regarding losing Artemis and the trouble with Trouble threatened to invade her happiness. She vainly tried to rinse out these polluted thoughts in scalding hot water, and watched the soapy water drain away, staring at it long after she'd finished. She couldn't reach the faucet to turn the shower off, but it didn't matter. Artemis would jump in once she was done. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked into the bedroom.

Artemis was back in bed, propped on an elbow. He was examining the ring communicator that Trouble had given to Holly. He turned it over several times in his hands and frowned.

"Shower's free." Holly called out to him.

"Holly?" he began, without looking away from the object. "What are the People's laws regarding covert recording devices… placed without consent?"

Holly was puzzled. "Well, I think they're about the same as yours, in this and most civilized countries. The 'bug' would require authorization from the Council to be placed. Otherwise, anything recorded would be inadmissible in court, for _or_ against the party recorded. Why are you asking?" She was already anxious, and it was a strange question to pose without knowing his plan. What was he thinking? If he was going to ask her to leave a bug in Trouble's office, she was _not_ game for that.

"Oh, no reason." Artemis said with unforced nonchalance. He opened the drawer of the nightstand and placed the small device on the edge of the inner drawer frame. "I just hate when people don't know how to mind their business." He slammed the drawer closed so hard against communicator it shattered.

Holly's eyes gazed in wonder at his actions. "Was that my communicator?"

"It was bugged! Honestly, Holly. You're a trained LEP officer, why didn't you examine it after he gave it to you?" he scolded.

"Bugged?" And the realization hit her. Trouble had, yet again, spied on her personal life. She knew there was no way he could have gotten the Council's approval on such short notice. Holly turned a deep shade of red, then purple as she began to fume. "That worthless, conniving, son of a gutless goblin... !" Holly's tirade went on and on, cursing the day Trouble was born in both English and Gnommish, and in a few other languages even Artemis couldn't identify… "What the hell is wrong with him?" she screamed.

"Holly, calm yourself. If we assume that this surveillance wasn't preauthorized by the Council, then anything he picked up _cannot_ be used against you." Artemis insisted, trying to quell her rage with reason. It didn't work.

"That's not the point, goddamnit! He was _listening, _Artemis! He heard _us!_ TWICE! Argh!" Holly stomped around the room, wringing her fingers through her wet hair, now furious beyond words.

Actually, Artemis couldn't help but feel a bit smug… but he knew that would be inappropriate to show in front of Holly, given her current state.

"Holly. You are not accomplishing anything by throwing a tantrum- listen to me. We need to formulate a plan for when you return. Don't let him take the upper hand by losing yourself, let alone flying into a rage." Artemis bit back his smile, as he imagined Holly storming into Trouble's office and unleashing her wrath on him, her tiny fists wailing away, blue sparks erupting everywhere.

"How am I supposed to react, Artemis? My boss has lost his mind, and my career is as good as gone…" Holly exclaimed, exasperated.

The words stung Artemis. He couldn't help but feel responsible. "All right, Holly, put that out of your mind for the moment. I'm going to bathe and dress. I suggest you finish up as well." Artemis darted into the bathroom. He called behind him "Remember Holly, _you_ didn't do anything illegal. He did. _You_ are blameless."

"Presumably." she muttered. It was still a man's world in her society and without the pull of Commander Root (and now with Trouble Kelp _against_ her) the odds of things turning favorable were grim.

Once Artemis was safely hidden from Holly in the shower, a complete shit-eating grin spread across his face. Of all their intimate experiences, the one during which Trouble decided to play voyeur was the time where Artemis had totally dominated Holly, and made her scream in euphoric passion. He smirked at the mental image- Trouble's torn expression, both horrified and engrossed in the scandalous audio feed. Still, Artemis had to determine how these events would affect Holly, and her career. If his assumption was correct, it was Trouble who broke the law. Artemis couldn't imagine the Council approving the secret surveillance of Fowl Manor or Officer Short unless they felt the People at large were in direct danger. The question was, did the Council feel that a fairy romantically involved with a human was something that endangered their race? He highly doubted it… but then again, it wasn't like it was just any fairy involved with any human. Holly was a star in the LEP and, the _human_ was Artemis Fowl. They'd never trust him. For once, having a dangerous reputation wasn't working in his favor.

Artemis shut off the water, grabbed a towel and returned to the bedroom, where Holly was just finished getting dressed. He stopped to admire her. She wore skinny black jeans with a dark green long sleeve T. The color was stunning against her bronze skin and bright auburn hair. He smiled at her as she looked up from her bag towards him. She smiled back at him but it didn't touch her eyes. She had been packing that bag, preparing for her departure this evening. Artemis smiled also faded but he tried not to think of that inevitable parting.

Artemis went through his wardrobe, finding some silk boxers and slate gray socks to go with the black Armani suit he'd selected. He heard Holly huff behind him. Turning to look at her, he winced under her disapproving glare. "What do you have against my suits?" he demanded.

"Nothing, Artemis. You look very nice in a suit. It's just that it's _Sunday_...I mean, c'mon." Holly exclaimed.

"Well, I'm afraid I've already depleted my casual attire for this weekend." It wasn't a lie, excepting the fact that the tight jeans were now neatly folded and hidden in a location that would remain undisclosed… if he had to he'd blame their disappearance on Butler.

"I'll tell you what, I'll forgo the jacket and tie. After all," he sighed "I think I've had enough of ties for today."

Holly laughed. It seemed an acceptable compromise. For now.

Artemis dressed himself in Holly's presence, completely unabashed. He mused how just weeks ago he would have died from embarrassment, being _nude_ in front of her. As he buttoned the cuffs to his heather gray Oxford, he noted no need for shame. Indeed, they had been naked more than clothed that weekend.

"There." he said after finishing with his shirt, leaving the collar button undone. "I am business casual." He smiled.

Holly sighed. "You're still overdressed." But she shook her head in defeat. _As long as he's comfortable_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

"Holly." he said in a suddenly serious tone. "We have to talk about your plan for tomorrow."

Holly slumped. _Oh yeah. The obsessive stalker spying on me having sex with my human lover..._

"There's nothing illegal about our relationship, correct?" He asked levelly.

"No. Of course not! It might be unheard of, maybe even _frowned upon_, but it's not illegal."

"As I thought. Now, I think it's obvious Trouble has some possessive tendency regarding you, though I'd like to believe he's still just concerned for your well-being. Where do you think this jealousy stems from? The fact that you're involved with someone, with a human, or because that human is me?"

"Yes." Holly stated, looking blankly over his shoulder.

"I gave you three options, Holly, a coherent response would entail selecting _one_."

"No. I mean, yes, all of the above. Anytime a new officer has to interact with me, whether or not his intentions seem honorable, Trouble's stalker radar must kick in, because he invariably pulls me away, saying he needs me to work on some nonsense or another. Once, when I reprimanded him for interrupting my lunch hour with the guys, he sulked the whole day. So to answer your question, he doesn't want me involved with _anyone_. Let alone a human who is the most notorious criminal the fairy people have encountered. But now that I think about it, he'd probably have reacted this same way if I had gone a date with Grub. Trouble must think he's still got some claim to me- it's so old fashioned. Anyway, if he doesn't start acting like a professional, I'll have to notify the Council about my 'hostile work environment'. I'd _really hate_ to do that... It would just play into the whole stupid argument that 'the LEP is no place for women'."

Artemis digested this, but couldn't stop dwelling on something odd in her response. Why would Trouble '_still' _have a claim to her? Because he was her commanding officer? That wasn't what she seemed to imply. What was old fashioned? The inequality for women on the force? Artemis wasn't sure if he should address these questions now. He shelved them for the time being.

"Holly, what do you intend to do, when you get back to work Monday?" he queried.

"First, I'm going to restrain myself from knocking him into next week..." she fumed. Artemis couldn't fight his smile. He would pay to see her beating him senseless. "then..." she continued, "I'm going to demand an explanation and tell him to bugger off!"

Her plan lacked forethought. "Holly, I feel… it would be more prudent to gain some allies, before any confrontation. If the fairy society is as unfair towards females as you claim, you'll need them. The Council is predominately male, but are any of them sympathetic to your position? And you should also drum up another male, a co-worker, to vouch for your interests."

Holly ran through a mental list of people that might've been willing to assist her. It was an understatement to call the Council 'predominately male'. Aside from Wing Commander Vinyaya, it was ENTIRELY male. Though, she had previously worked for Vinyaya in Section 8, not to mention mentored under her in the academy. She felt confident about convincing her. Then, of course, she had Foaly who was a technical adviser for the entire LEP, including Section 8. Though, he was already sticking his neck out for her… Mulch was worthless with the Council, being an ex-con and all… Artemis and No.1 were good friends, and being the most powerful warlock ever known, he might hold some clout…

"Okay, I've got a few people to talk to. Look, Artemis. Why don't you let me handle this? If I need your help, I promise to ask, but this is _my_ problem."

Artemis took this sourly. "How is this _your_ problem? Last I checked, it directly involves me. I'm not leaving you to fend off these dogs by yourself!"

"Look, you're making decisions based solely on assumptions. Until we get more facts, we can't develop a real plan. And we won't get those facts until I go home. So let's just enjoy what's left of our weekend and stop stressing over this!" Her stomach made an audible groan. "I need to eat something."

"I'm sorry, love. You're right, of course. Please, go ahead. Butler would be glad to make you something. I'll be right down, there's just something I need to take care of."

Holly was obviously disappointed but didn't argue. She stomped out of the room. Artemis stared blankly at the door she had just passed through. He was quite certain Foaly would have replied by now…

Artemis sat at his desk and booted up the laptop. Upon checking his e-mail, he was pleased to find the awaited message. It was a reply to his own, sent the night before. He clicked to open the message, but there was no text, just an encrypted video file attached. Artemis rolled his eyes but smiled. He'd probably have responded the same way.

Loading the video file, Foaly's image coalesced.

"Merry Christmas, Mud Boy, and thanks for the present... Though, you _do_ realize since you willfully supplied this strain analysis, I'm obligated to add it to your file." Foaly added in an uncharacteristically adult tone.

"Naturally." Artemis replied to the deaf screen.

"In any case, I would have to agree with your conclusion. It's all there in your DNA, buddy. I even talked to Qwan and he thinks that's how you were able to steal the magic you did two years ago. You _are_ a hybrid. Though, by a very small margin. I'd say something like 1/32 fairy. Still, fairy genes are very dominate, so it's not really surprising that after all these generations you'd still carry the markers. I guess it just goes to show you're not all that original, Arty!" his recorded voice broke into a giant belly laugh, and his next words were almost incomprehensible. "You're just following in the footsteps of an ancestor..." his words came between gasps of laughter, "Some Fowl was gettin' freaky with a fairy _way _before you!" The last sounds of the recording was Foaly laughing so hard he started to cough.

Artemis deleted the message and closed his computer. Blankly, he stared at the door again.

"Good to know."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: So what happens next? Care to venture a guess? What did you all think of my lemon? Wicked hot, right? You know the drill – ten reviews and the next chapter goes up!**


	8. Departure

**A/N: Okay, Holly is _finally_ leaving. No smut... sorry. Make it up to you in Ch. 9... promise. :D**

**A few notes regarding this chapter: I never found if Eoin Colfer made an actual coat of arms for the Fowl name. In the graphic novels, he has a Family Shield above the fireplace mantle that is a quartered Green and Gold/Yellow shield. I added the guardians to make it a full coat of arms. A dragon represents "A Protector of things valuable" and a Pegasus represents "Poetic Genius". **

**Grammar Lesson: "Genius" is singular. In Lost Colony, Artemis tells Holly that the correct pluralization of this word is "Genii" which is correct when making general reference to several people. However, "Geniuses" is a proper pluralization of the word when you are referring to specifically 2, 3 or 8 people. Don't ask me... English is hard.**

**I tried to use as much as the information found in mostly the first AF book to make references to the Manor. Obviously, some is from my imagination. :)**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns all rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Artemis strolled into the kitchen. His entire family was there, with Butler and Holly. Butler had made giant waffles, and Artemis noted that Holly wolfed down inhuman proportions with unusual relish. Apparently this Belgian delicacy was on her list of favorite human foods. With bloated satisfaction, she seemed less irritated with their situation. Either that, or she was hiding it gracefully.

Artemis took the seat beside her. He didn't intend to tell Holly of his contact with Foaly, and especially not in front of his family. If he was part Fairy, then so were his brothers and at least one of his parents- most likely his father. He was bound to have an even stronger concentration of the gene. He couldn't accurately predict their reaction to such a bombshell, and decided it prudent to keep that to himself.

He had just started on his more responsibly sized breakfast when he caught his mother's eye. She was giving Artemis a very reproachful glare. His fork froze in mid-air, and he looked back at her bewildered. He panned over to his father, fearing a similar reaction. It was even more puzzling. Artemis Senior was literally biting the insides of his cheeks to hold back a grin. He couldn't even make eye contact with his son. But when he did, and upon seeing his confused expression, a chuckle fought its way through- which he quickly tried to disguise as a cough.

Artemis wrote it off as something nobody wanted to talk about now, probably because of Holly's presence.

"Arty, we heard you yell a bad word." Myles said. "Mom got mad and turned the TV up real loud." Myles, though young, could see Artemis's confusion. He thought it would be kind to clue him in.

"I did?" Artemis asked, more to himself than Myles. He desperately tried to think back to any time he had swore. Cursing was not in his nature, let alone his breeding.

Artemis Senior was unable to suppress his laughter any longer. With a huge belly laugh he blurted out, "Nice work, Holly!" just before Angeline elbowed him violently.

Holly seemed unabashed. She said "Thanks" with a full mouth.

"Don't encourage this kind of behavior!" Angeline seethed under her breath. "We still have _innocent_ children in this house!"

Beckett and Myles looked at each other, wondering if they were the innocents referred to. "Who, us?" they asked in tandem.

"Yes, boys. You are pure children, and as such there are things inappropriate for your untainted ears" their mother replied. "You'll understand when you're older."

Myles was confused by his mother's response. "Like what, mom? We know Artemis and Holly have a sexually intimate relationship. That's why they don't want us in their room and why they sleep without pajamas. All the evidence is present. I hope that's not what you're trying to keep from us." Myles was far too well spoken for a preschooler, but then again he did take after Artemis far more than Beckett did.

Everyone at the table blanched. Even Butler looked mildly surprised. Angeline covered her gaping mouth with her hand, and Artemis fell off his chair.

"H-honey... how do you know about..." she swallowed hard, "sex?" Angeline asked Myles nervously.

"It was in my Biology text. Besides, I've read several novels that have 'adult' themes." Myles replied.

Angeline shouldn't have been all that surprised. When Artemis was five, she'd sent her husband to have the 'talk' with him. Artemis Senior came back laughing, saying he learned more from his son than he was able to teach. Angeline was going to burn that library.

"Well," Angeline huffed, "I still expect you to act with discretion, Arty."

"Yes, mother, I do apologize." he said, just now getting back into his chair. "And, on a completely different topic of conversation, I would like to request you, Butler, to repair a crack in my bedroom's wall."

Artemis Senior, this time, fell backwards in his chair, heaving in large guffaws.

* * *

With all the commotion of breakfast behind them, Holly and Artemis found the remaining hours they had together hard to fill. They didn't really want to do anything besides just _be_ with each other. But sitting around was becoming rather boring, and he didn't want to bring up anything too serious right before she left. Artemis finally had an idea he hoped she'd enjoy.

"Holly, would you like the _full_ tour of the manor?" he asked, emphasizing the fact that she had only seen a small fraction of the castle.

"Yeah, actually I would." Holly had noticed the house was so large, that the family had isolated only a few rooms for everyday use. She had wondered what all the other rooms were for.

"Great." Artemis smiled as he took her hand and led her into the main foyer. "Well, you've seen this room before. The main foyer underwent extensive renovations a few years back but now it's completely restored to its original glory." he smirked at her. Holly found no humor in his comment. That was an absolutely terrifying incident, as her, Butler and Juliet were almost killed. But he was right. No one would be able to tell that this room had been the stage to an epic battle. The same family portraits graced the wall along the stair case, the several medieval suit of armor stood proudly in the aisle. An ancient tapestry that had to be at least 30 feet long was hung on the south wall.

"So the main level is where most of the common rooms are. We've adapted the servant's kitchen as our own- to be more intimate, as we don't really use the main dining hall for a family of five and we only have Butler and the one day-time nanny as staff." Artemis hurried on, explaining the history of the structure, it's original inhabitants and the additions and expansions over the centuries.

Holly nodded throughout Artemis's narration. She was honestly surprised by the vast breadth of the collections, artifacts and antiques the manor held.

"...which makes it the logical choice with the ceiling height of the main level being 38 feet, Holly... Is this too boring?" Artemis had noticed her expression. She didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Huh? No, it's fascinating. I was just pondering how many of these rare and expensive objects were obtained… legally."

Artemis gave her his vampire smile but said nothing. "Let's continue, then."

"Formal dining hall... we don't entertain much these days." he rushed her past a huge gilt oak door, beyond which flashed a large ornate table that almost filled the room. Likely it sat over 50 people.

Artemis dragged her along, realizing this must actually be pretty boring and she was probably just humoring him. He went through each room quickly, simply stating what the room was and supplying a small comment about when it was last used, what for, and why it's not used any more.

"Formal ballroom, again...not used. Beyond is the atrium, which is nothing to look at right now since we haven't had a gardener in years." he pulled her along, not bothering to give her much time to even see the room from the doorway.

"Conference room. Sometimes I use it, but it's mostly for my father's business dealings."

Holly looked into the room. She recognized it from the case file she had to compile of her first encounter with Artemis. He had brought Commander Root here to negotiate the terms of her release. Inside, a huge rounded table dominated the center of the room, one of much more modern design than the other furnishings in the house. Around it sat 20 identical black leather chairs. The south wall was completely made of glass. At the head of the table there was a projection screen rolled up, anchored to the wall. Behind it was an immense flat screen television. On the west wall was a fireplace with a coat of arms above it. Holly wanted to look at the room more but Artemis urged her along.

Artemis opened yet another door along the long corridor. "Boys' room." On the other side was a room so large, she imagined the entire LEP Recon unit could fit inside.. The ceiling was a fresco painting of a starlit sky. There were two queen-sized canopy beds, one on each side with ornate wardrobes between. In the corner of the room sat a white baby grand piano. Beside it, a chair with a case on it. Holly recognized it- a violin.

"Your brother's play?" she asked, motioning toward the instruments.

"Of course. They study pianoforte and violin, but only because their hands are still small. Once they grow a bit I'll start them on violoncello, a noble instrument. Mother insisted we keep their practice instruments in their room, so they wouldn't be upstairs in the music hall by themselves, when I'm not around."

Holly was beginning to feel a little intimidated. This home never seemed to end. Before she could digest it all, Artemis had taken her hand and pulled her along.

"Library..." Artemis opened the door to a towering room that must have housed over a million books, stacked on shelves at least 20 feet high. In fact, there was a spiral stair case in this room to the second floor, where the library continued. There were probably surface towns and cities that didn't have such and an extensive collection of resources and this was their _personal_ library.

"The library's second level connects with the second level corridor. All that's left on the main level is the family room or _lounge_, which you've seen, a few staff quarters which are empty, and the main kitchen which again is not used. The south wing is the wine cellar, which you've seen before."

"The wine cellar where Mulch broke into your house, stole one of your copies of The Book and some of the gold you conned the People of out of in exchange for me?"

Artemis's expression sank. He truly did not like to be reminded that he had kidnapped Holly and held her for ransom. He wondered if Holly would ever fully forgive him for that.

"Holly - " he started but Holly cut him off.

"Stop. I was being facetious, so cut your guilt trip short."

Artemis didn't know what to say. Sighing, he took her hand again and continued his tour.

"Let's go upstairs then." He led her up the iron spiral stairs in the library.

"You know, next time I'm here, I want to spend more time going through your collection." she looked at the varying books as she passed. They seemed to be in the Classical Literature section of the room. _It was no wonder he could author novels of his own by ten_ she thought. _He's probably read thousands._

Artemis opened the double oak doors that led out of the library to the upstairs corridor. "This," he said, as he opened the next door, "is one of the twelve guest rooms. We haven't had need for them in a long time. We also have guest cottages out on the property but I don't think I'll have time to show you those now." Artemis suddenly mused he should have probably just stayed in one of those with Holly this entire weekend and saved himself a lot of embarrassment. Unfortunately the security wasn't completely sound out there and Butler wouldn't have allowed him to be alone… and three is a crowd.

Artemis passed more rooms and didn't even bother opening the doors anymore. He just waived at them, "Guest room...another guest room" as they passed. He paused at one door, but still didn't open it. "Juliet's room. She'll be home in three weeks."

Holly smiled. She hoped she'd get to see her again soon. The notorious 'Jade Princess'.

Artemis pulled her along to the mid-point of the corridor. "Okay, you probably recognize where you are now. My room is in the south corner, Butler's is nearby. This here is my study and in between here and Butler's room is the music hall. Would you like to see either room?" he asked, trying to wrap up this boring tour.

To his surprise she replied "Yes, both. Your house is... huge. I can't believe only six people live here. This is like a small city to me and this is just the inside. How many acres is the estate?"

"Two hundred." He said, without so much as a batted eyelash.

Holly's tried to keep her head from spinning. Even though the Fowl Estate was more than simply impressive, she couldn't help but think about how the Fowl's built their empire over the centuries. Artemis Senior was the first Fowl in uncountable generations to leave his ancestors' criminal lifestyle behind. Of course, his son had only renewed the family legacy in becoming a criminal mastermind. Though she honestly believed most of his crimes weren't for the money- but simply a challenge for an overly intelligent, filthy rich, and extremely bored kid.

"Do you mind showing me your study?" she asked. Artemis was a bit secretive about his private space. It was not just his study but the entire manor's security headquarters.

"Not at all." He approached the regal hardwood door and opened a secret panel hidden in the wide trim. Behind it was a gel-print scanner, voice recognition and iris scanning station. "Holly, you need to stand back for a second while the scale register's my body weight. It won't open if the variance is more than 0.5%." He went through the familiar process of unlocking the door, and Holly realized the hardwood fascia was just for decor in the hallway. Behind the wooden door, three separate pneumatic interlocking steel doors slid open with barely a hiss. "Okay, now you can come."

Holly looked at him incredulously. "What is it with geniuses and being paranoid?"

"It's genii, Holly." he corrected her diction.

"Not when I'm only referring to two people. Which I am... I think you know who."

"Touché." he cocked an eyebrow at her. "In any case, you can never be too safe."

He stood aside, allowing her to enter before him. She looked around the room, There were more than two dozen computers housed within the dark oak shelves, connected through a central server, which was hooked up to various security systems throughout the manor. One screen was broadcasting CNN, another a running ticker of the stock market. Two were running some sort of diagnostic. On the wall opposite sat an ancient oak desk, with several task lamps on top of it. Tucked under it was a large black leather swivel chair, like a big brother to the one in Artemis's room. To the left sat a winged arm chair in front of a fireplace. Holly noticed above the mantle hung a painting of the Fowl coat of arms. The shield inside was the same one she had noticed in the conference room downstairs. It was a gold and green, quartered crest. Above the symbol was the family motto in Latin, _Aurum est Potestas_ on a ribbon, and below that was another that simply said "Fowl". On one side of the shield stood what appeared to be some kind of mythical dragon and the other side, a Pegasus. _Honestly, where do humans come up with these creatures?_ Suddenly she noticed the dragon held what appeared to be an acorn in it's talons.

"The fireplace is of course sealed though I did install a gas burning flame. I missed the fire light in the evening. As you can see, there are no windows in here, so all the light is artificial." He rattled on. Holly was still looking intently at the picture above the mantle.

"Is that… an acorn?" she asked him.

"Yes, it's supposedly symbolizes antiquity and strength. Though, coming to know what it means to the fairy people, I would say it's an appropriate definition." He gave her a warm smile. Of course, Artemis now knew the probable reason why there was an acorn in his family's coat of arms, but he wanted to see if Holly could put it together on her own.

"It's an odd choice for a human coat of arms." she said, quietly. She looked back at Artemis who was looking at her intently. She sensed he wanted to say something, but he was silent. Maybe she was imagining things.

After a moment of silence, Artemis released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "Well, aside from my parents' suite and Butlers' quarters, I've shown you everything but the music hall. Would you like to see it?"

"Yeah, of course." Holly said meekly.

Artemis was just about to leave when Butler came in.

"Shall I leave?" he inquired when he saw Holly.

"No, no. We were just on our way out." Artemis took Holly's hand and began to lead her out of the room when Butler called to her.

"Holly, you'll make sure you say goodbye to me before you leave, won't you?"

Saddened by the reminder she was leaving soon, she gave him a small smile. "Sure thing." Artemis wouldn't meet her gaze when she looked back at him. He seemed to be equally upset at the thought of her leaving.

Walking into the corridor, Artemis took Holly towards the grandest set of oak doors yet. They were at least 12 feet in height and had a very ornate carved design in them. He opened the right door and led her into the room. The floor was spalted marble and the windows were almost floor-to-ceiling. In the center of the far wall were a set of French doors that led outside, to a large balcony overlooking the back of the estate. Artemis led her into the room so she could see all of the furnishings. There were more than a dozen Queen Anne style chairs lined in two rows opposite a full-sized grand piano. Beside it, Holly noted several other instruments, both in cases and on stands. Holly walked over to the piano, and hit a single key with her finger. The sound reverberated and resonated, filling the entire room.

"The acoustics are respectable, though the sound is best in the south-west corner of the hall. The ceiling, of course being horrendously old, has sagged and the pitch doesn't resound quite as well as I imagine it would have originally." Artemis walked over to where Holly stood beside the piano. He was trying to gauge her reaction, but she remained very quiet, almost somber throughout the tour. He must have been boring her senseless.

In actuality, Holly was feeling incredibly inadequate. Artemis was extremely wealthy and his family probably intended him to marry into someone of his class. Not to mention she would never be able to begin to compare to his intellect. She was beginning to think it was foolish to want Artemis. Even if she was human, she wouldn't measure up.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. Holly's mood was slipping downhill. He tried desperately to think of something that might cheer her up. "Oh, shall I play something for you?" he asked.

"Oh. You don't have to. I mean, I do love the piano. We don't have many in Haven... you know, with them being so huge."

"Is that a yes or no?"

Holly shrugged. "If you don't mind." Artemis probably hated performing, even though she had no doubt in her mind that he was an expert pianist. Still, she felt conflicted. She'd love to hear his playing but it would just be another jab at her self-esteem. How inept she was in comparison.

Oblivious to Holly's self-depreciation, Artemis pulled the bench out from under the piano and sat down. He played a few scales and frowned. "Sorry, it's a little out of tune. I'll have to fix that later. I haven't been playing much lately."

Holly couldn't detect the mild variances in tone. It sounded beautiful to her.

"Any requests?" he smiled at her.

Holly simply shook her head 'no'. She had no doubt she could have rattled off any random classical piece and he would pull it from his repertoire and play it flawlessly. "Why don't you surprise me."

Artemis thought for a moment, then smiled. "I think I _will_." he replied quietly.

Artemis was only a few measures into the piece and Holly was already transfixed. He was better than she imagined. His performance wasn't nearly as stiff as she would have thought it to be, with him being such a perfectionist. Several measures into the piece, the distant yet achingly familiar melody became recognizable. Holly's eyes widened with surprise. She knew this piece, this song. How did _Artemis_ know it?

"How…?" she started, awestruck.

Continuing without effort through the melancholy phrases, he replied in a very factual manner. "I found an audio file of it during, well… I won't mince words. It came in a batch download the last time I hacked the LEP server. I guess Foaly was listening to it at the time. It got picked up in the stream before he could shut me out. I love the melody. Though, it was performed on something like a lute, so it had to be transposed for pianoforte."

Holly was dazed. She hadn't heard this Fairy song in a very long time, and never imagined it would be so suited to piano. Automatically, she quietly sang the lyrics in Gnommish. Artemis gazed at her, interested, but continued to play until he reached the end. When he finally closed the keyboard Holly didn't stir, she was completely lost, lingering in a vivid past.

He turned to face her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I didn't know it had lyrics. The piece I learned it from was instrumental."

"It's a lullaby… a very old lullaby. My mom used to sing it to me when I was very young." Holly sighed. Returning from her daze, she met his eyes. "Thank you. That was wonderful."

"Thank you, your voice is beautiful."

Artemis looked at her intently. He placed his hand on her cheek and drew her face to his. He placed the softest of kisses against her lips before looking back at her. He debated whether to tell her what he had discovered. A way they could be together… But the stakes were high, and the outcome unknown. Still, he wasn't sure if she really wanted to be with him as much as he wanted her.

"Holly, may I ask you something rather personal?"

Holly blinked. It wasn't a good sign if he was asking permission. Holly nodded warily.

"When you were younger, did you ever imagine someday you would find someone to partner with?"

Holly was right to be wary. She was floored by this question. What would he think about her response?

"Honestly... no. My parents weren't, so I figured it wasn't such a big deal. Aside from that, I wanted to be an officer since I was pretty young, and having a dangerous occupation just didn't seem practical. I could be killed in the line of duty and then my partner's life would be cut as well. It seemed... unfair."

"That makes sense." Artemis stood from the piano and took the handles of the French doors. He looked back to see if Holly would follow him. As she began walking towards him, he opened them and led her out to the balcony.

Holly walked out to meet Artemis in the open air. It was a bit windy, but the sun was still up. It was warm enough to just be wearing long sleeves. Holly looked at the substantially sized balcony. The left had a bistro table and the right had a teak lounger similar to the ones found on the downstairs terrace. Holly ventured a look through the ornate railing (as she was too short to see over the top of it) at the back of the estate. It was well manicured, and the grass was starting to become much greener as spring progressed.

Some time passed where they just stood in silence, Holly looking out to the estate's grounds, Artemis looking at her. He really didn't know what he should tell her. Artemis always had everything he ever wanted, and if he didn't already have it, he'd acquire it. He wanted Holly. But taking her was out of the question. What he really wanted… was for her to _choose_ him.

Artemis left the banister and sat on the edge of the lounger. He patted the seat beside him, motioning for her to take a seat beside him. She obliged, and once she was beside him, he wrapped his arms around her. Artemis pulled her back with him as he laid down in the chair, keeping her cuddled close. Holly stared up into the sky. She could tell it was way past noon. They had a late breakfast- almost a brunch, and missed lunch at some point during their tour. They watched the sun retreat from the sky, both of them willing it to freeze in place.

Holly turned towards his face to kiss him... a little too passionately. Artemis pulled back from her with a apologetic look. "Holly, I'm... a bit sore. Maybe, next time you stop by, if you'd like to come out here..."

Holly started to laugh. She wasn't trying to seduce him, but it was still amusing to hear he wasn't up for any more sex.

"That's fine, and yes… next time." she winked. "It's just… leaving you. This weekend went by so quickly. Though, it was incredibly fun. And I don't mean just the sex. I thought I knew you… yet there was more to learn. And I really didn't think I'd get to spend time with your family- and none of them care that I'm an elf. It was all so... magical."

"I'm honored you enjoyed your stay." Artemis replied, much too formally.

There was another long silence. An unknown interval had passed, but the sun was well towards the horizon now, and the air was far more chilly for it.

"Holly - " Artemis's almost whispered. "if you could stay, would you?"

"Yeah" she replied too quickly, "I wish I could stay longer. I can't believe how little vacation time I get as a major."

"That's not what I was asking. Would you stay... with me... if you could?"

Holly paused. She wanted to stay with Artemis. But what would it be like? She'd be unemployed on the surface and most likely holed up in the manor all the time. Then she's have to watch Artemis age and die... she didn't think she could handle that. She was suddenly angry with herself for even allowing this to start. It was cruel to both herself and Artemis.

"I couldn't, Artemis. I don't think I could handle the next 60 to 70 years unemployed being trapped in a castle. It's not the lifestyle for me. Then after you... pass, I'd return to Haven and have to re-establish my life all over again. Except this time, I'd be completely heartbroken."

Artemis could see her reasoning, but she'd based it on limited knowledge. "Okay, so say there isn't the issue of the life span difference, I keep you busy with some sort of philanthropy work, or whatever your heart's desire that doesn't involve risking your life, and you can be disguised as a human, coming and going as you please. Would you then?" If he changed the variables, would she answer differently? He was trying to uncover her feelings.

She looked back at him skeptically. "Okay... but none of those things could ever happen." she replied.

Artemis huffed. "_If_ they could, Holly... It's a hypothetical question."

"Okay fine. _Hypothetically_ I would stay. But be realistic, Artemis. Maybe you and I just weren't meant to -"

"Shh." Artemis cut her off. "Holly, don't even say it. All I wanted to know is if you _wanted_ to stay or not."

"Of course I want to stay with you. I love you." She felt the prick of tears and turned away from him.

Artemis paused for a moment, gathering courage to speak.

"Enough that you would partner with me? If you could... hypothetically."

Holly's eyes shot wide open. Her breathing suddenly would only come in short gasps. _How the hell do I answer that?_ She had no idea that's where this line of questioning was going. And knowing Artemis as well as she did, hypothetical often wasn't all that far away from real.

"But… it's impossible." was all she could get out.

Artemis sat bolt upright, aligning Holly directly in front of him. His expression was painfully serious which made Holly all the more anxious.

"What if it wasn't? If it was _possible_?" his question came out rather demanding.

Holly blinked. _What if it was possible?_ She processed the question in her head and couldn't see how it would be, but that obviously wasn't what he was asking. He wanted to know how much she loved him. Did she love him enough to be with him for life, regardless of how long- or short- that life was?

Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't going to be put in the spotlight. She decided to counter his question with her own.

"Would you?" she asked, trying to sound brave, but her voice trembled in fear. She was incredibly scared that he'd say no.

"Yes." There wasn't a second of hesitation in his response. Holly almost flinched, his response came so fast.

"You would?"

"Yes is what I said, Holly. You have not yet answered my question."

Holly mulled it over in her head. Their life as partners, with the circumstances he proposed in the _hypothetical_ question. Pretending to be a human: not so appealing. But for living on the surface, worth it. Leaving the LEP and Haven: also not appealing. This price paid for a life with Artemis, which she knew would never be boring, worth it. To die so young was _very_ unappealing, but not knowing the heart-ache of losing yet another loved one... made it possibly worth it.

"I don't know, Artemis. It's not that I don't love you enough to partner with you, it's just that I'd die _so_ young. Other than that, then yes I would." she smiled at him. "This is of course all hypothetical, you realize."

"Yes, of course. So I just need to figure out how to live a lot longer, and then your decision is made." he said smugly.

"Yes, you do that." she replied, sarcastically.

"Holly, don't you think, if there were any human on Earth who may not cheat death, but outrun him for quite some time, that it would be me?"

She wouldn't put it past him. "What are you plotting?" her eyes were heavy-lidded with suspicion.

Artemis only gave her a wicked smile in return. Changing the topic to avert her suspicion, Artemis stood and held his hand out to Holly. "We should go in now. It's getting chilly and dinner will be ready shortly. We didn't eat lunch, so you must be famished. How very rude of me to keep you so preoccupied. Shall we?"

Holly took his hand but her suspicious glare never left. She knew he wouldn't have just asked a question like that out of pure curiosity. He wasn't telling her something…

* * *

Dinner that night was very drab. Butler made Eggplant Parmesan, which again, Holly wolfed down. Artemis smiled at her, amused by her appetite. Holly glanced up and noticed him watching her eat. When she looked around the table, she saw how eloquently everyone ate, even the twins. She was really going to need some etiquette training.

Very little conversation was made. Myles had asked Artemis about a violin lesson, but Artemis simply said he'd assist him tomorrow. Angeline decided to try and break the awkward silence.

"Butler, I hear Juliet will be returning from the U.S. at the end of this month. That's wonderful. How is she?" Angeline asked.

"She's well. I spoke with her just yesterday. She told me she is homesick and asked me to send her regards to you all." In actuality, she had said: 'I'm, like, totally bored out of my skull here and can't wait to get back. Oh and tell everyone I said 'Hey'.' Butler tried to make her message a bit more genteel.

"How lovely. Holly, I do hope you'll be back again soon. Then you can meet Juliet; she's Butler's younger sister." Artemis Senior spoke to Holly.

"Oh, I've met Juliet. She's great. And yes, I do hope I'll be back again soon. I'd love to see her again. As well as everyone else here."

"I trust your stay has been a pleasant one?" Angeline said in all innocence, but Artemis Senior's imagination added innuendo and he began to chuckle. Holly smiled at his reaction and knew what he was thinking. She politely replied to Angeline, "Yes, thank you." Artemis tried very hard to keep himself from blushing.

"So when will you be leaving us, Holly?" Artemis Senior asked, now more composed.

"In an hour. I just need to finish gathering my things. I can't stay much longer than that. Got to get up for work tomorrow!" Holly paled...work... Trouble... _ugh._

"So soon? Well I know I speak for all of us here when I say we've very much enjoyed your company, and do hope you'll visit again shortly." Artemis Senior said with a broad smile.

"Thank you, I will." Holly felt Artemis squeeze her thigh under the table. His simple way of telling her he'd hold her to that promise.

Artemis and Holly retreated to _his_ room, though when he suggested they'd return there, he'd caught himself from almost saying _our_ room. It felt that way this weekend. He very much wished it to be true. If everything went according to plan, then eventually it might be.

Back in the bedroom, Holly gathered the few things she had yet to pack. Artemis appeared behind her while she zipped up her bag and ran his hands around her neck. Holly felt a small object fall in the dip of her collar bone and looked down to see what it was- a gold chain, with a gold pendant. She recognized the symbol immediately. The Fowl Coat of Arms. She held the pendant between her fingers, momentarily dazzled by the gold itself, as was her fairy nature, but then she came to realize what a significant gift this was. His name... on her.

She looked up at him, her expression full of question. He beamed at her.

"I could have had it made from platinum, with it being considered a more valuable mineral, but that would seem like absolute sacrilege, given the family motto and all. Besides, I thought it would be nice to return some of your gold."

"You had this made… from fairy gold?" she looked back at it, spellbound.

"Yes. Will you wear it?" His questions seemed to be charged with hidden meaning lately.

"Yes. It's beautiful... and unexpected. Why are giving me this?"

"Because I wanted you to have it." he shrugged.

She gave him a wary glance, but said "Thank you, Arty. I'll wear it always... even to work." He smiled, knowingly.

"So glad to hear it." he leaned down towards her and kissed her softly. Holly added a little more to the kiss as she took his bottom lip. Artemis returned her enthusiasm by letting his tongue seek out hers. When they found each other, he moaned into her mouth. Holly instantly felt a jolt go straight to her nether regions but pushed away.

She took in a sharp intake of air. "I have to go, like, now." she said.

Artemis pouted like a child. He knew it was true. Their separation stung, but he took solace in the fact he'd see her again soon. Sooner than she knew.

"Very well. Do you have all of your things?"

"Yes... I'm done, already." Holly had tried to dawdle but the inevitable was upon her. Time to go.

Artemis sighed, grabbing her bag. "You need to say goodbye to everyone. Not just me. Let's go to the terrace."

Gathering his family and Butler together, Artemis led them all out the back to the terrace. Holly had already strapped on her wings and was just clipping her bag onto her moonbelt as everyone walked outside.

Holly smiled at everyone as they all came to see her off. Everyone was a bit surprised by the sight of the wings. Everyone, but Butler. Artemis Senior looked over to Butler with questioning eyes. Butler quietly replied, "They're mechanical" to which Artemis Senior just gave an open-mouthed nod.

"Well everyone, I'm off. Thanks again for having me. I'm really... really happy to have met you all. I will be back just as soon as I can." Holly addressed them with the bravest smile she could muster. She most certainly was not going to break down. Maybe that was part of the reason Artemis wanted their goodbyes to be public. But she did promise Butler she wouldn't leave in secret, and it seemed like the only proper thing to do.

Artemis reached for her hand and squeezed it, gently. He looked at her stoically. "You'll call me when you get home?" he breathed.

"Of course." she whispered back to him. Her brave smile was beginning to dissipate and she knew she had to leave... now. She fired up the Hummingbird wings and hovered to eye level with Artemis. She kissed him passionately, in front of everyone. Beckett let out a "wooOOoo!" Holly smiled against his lips and whispered to him, "I'm not going to say goodbye, just see you later." Artemis nodded in response.

"Love you" he whispered.

She vanished, and out of the darkness above he heard her reply.

"…Love you too…"

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Thank you for all who reviewed! You guys are the best! I hope you all liked it... I know it was really fluffy. In chapter 9, I've got the confrontation with Trouble...so look for it after this chapter has 10 reviews.**


	9. Revelation

**A/N: Mwahahaha...The plot thickens! Also, as promised, enclosed smut. :D I'd like to take a minute to thank my editor who poured over each of my chapters correcting countless typos and horrific grammatical mistakes. Also, he is great at adding small tidbits to the story that just make it all the more delicious. :) So thx, hun. :3**

**Thank you all for reviewing! You are all so awesome! I know some are you going to be angry about the "revelations" in this chapter, but hey, I needed a plot, right? BTW, this chapter is HUGE. So I hope you all appreciate it. You can say so by leaving me reviews. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: E.O. owns A.F. No Copyright infringement intended. All I own is this wicked-ass story! LOL**

* * *

Holly had just finished taking off her wings when her communicator buzzed. It would only be one person. She promised she'd call him as soon as she got home, and this pre-emptive contact was odd.

"Hello?" she answered, confused.

"By my calculations, you should have arrived three minutes ago." Artemis said, in a rather clipped tone.

"Shuttle was slightly delayed. You're unbelievable. I told you I'd call, didn't I?" she replied, exasperated.

"Yes, you did. I'm impatient. How was your journey home?"

"Fine. Uneventful." she smiled as she flopped down on her futon.

"That's good, I suppose. I won't hold you up. I know you have work in the morning. I just wanted to check in on you."

Holly groaned. She was dreading the day ahead of her. It meant confronting Trouble regarding his actions. She started worrying about how that conversation would unravel.

"Holly?" Artemis asked her.

"Mmm?" Holly groaned, still buried in dread.

"Don't stress about it. I'm sure everything will be fine. You will tell me all about it when you get home?"

"Yes, I will." Holly let out a huge sigh.

"Good. Then I'll let you get some sleep."

Holly pouted. She didn't feel like hanging up but she really did need to get to sleep. "Okay. Goodnight."

"Oh, Holly?"

"Yes?"

"Don't do anything rash."

Holly smirked. "No promises. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Sweet dreams, love."

"You too. Bye Arty."

Holly closed the communicator. She unfolded the futon and stripped out of her clothes. Digging through her drawers, she found her favorite baggy t-shirt to sleep in. Definitely not sleepwear she'd have packed for her trip to Fowl Manor. In fact, most of the under things she brought with her this past weekend were only purchased the day before she left, and she didn't end up sleeping in any of them anyway…

Holly lay on her back, gazing out one of the few windows her tiny apartment had. The artificial night sky of Haven's projection panel ceiling twinkled beyond. It was realistic, but having spent the previous two nights under the real night sky, it didn't compare. She sighed, breathing in the filtered recycled air. Also, no comparison. Her mind wandered as it wound down to sleep, and she pondered on her last conversation with Artemis, out on the balcony. His _hypothetical_ question. What if she _could_ stay?

* * *

Holly's alarm wrenched her cruelly from slumber. Her sleep had been so deliciously deep since her relationship with Artemis began. She cracked an eye at the clock, moaned, and surrendered. _Let's get this day over with..._

Holly started the shower and slid the ratty tee over her head. Her double in the mirror froze, looking at her. It wasn't her bare reflection that caught her attention, but the new necklace she wore. Her fingers mindlessly toyed with the pendant. It really was beautiful. The only other necklace she had was a compact copy of The Book, an heirloom from her mother. She wore that almost always. In fact she was required to keep a copy of the fairy text on her person at all times. She wondered if it would look strange, wearing two necklaces at once. They were both forged from fairy gold, she reasoned…

Her shower seemed to be woefully missing 5 shower heads. She breezed through her morning routine barely conscious of it, nearly automatic from decades of lonely practice. Holly frowned at her new regulation office uniform. Recently, the LEP had revised them as more females joined the force. Of course field suits, including Shimmer Suits, were still unisex. But Holly never had a problem wearing the male's office uniform, she thought she looked good in a tie. She smiled at the memory of Artemis's tie against her bare body. Still, she was urged by the Council to wear the new uniform to work, as an example for younger female recruits. It was a white button down shirt, a narrow black pencil skirt, dark green blazer with the LEP insignia on the lapel, and to top it all off... a girly cravat and heels! Honestly. An outlandish gold neck scarf as opposed to the black tie the men wore. Ridiculous. Demeaning. Holly slipped on a pair of stockings, and bent on the blousy shirt and blazer- which was clearly cut for a feminine shape. The skirt was too much- she wore black slacks and field boots instead. The scarf was still stuffed in the original box, she hadn't worn it once. And nothing short of a direct order from Julius Root resurrected would sway her on that.

Holly found her mother's necklace in the dish by the sink, where she had always stored it overnight. It hung almost two inches lower than the Fowl pendant and was completely hidden under her shirt, whereas the Fowl pendant settled right in the dip below her throat. Without a scarf or tie, it was completely visible. Holly smirked at her reflection. He'd probably calculated the exact measurement to position it there. Jewelry was generally frowned upon in the force, but Julius wore a ring that certainly wasn't a wedding band, and no one called him on it. Then again, that was Root. No one argued with him about anything. Except Foaly.

Holly knew she was stalling, spending extra time with her hair and fidgeting with her pendants. She needed to get this day over with. The sooner she did, the sooner it would be behind her. She mustered her fortitude, grabbed the wing set, and headed out the door.

As soon as she landed by the main doors of Police Plaza, she caught the eye of Chix Verbil. He was back working for Retrieval after years of physical therapy the demon warlocks had given his damaged wing. Now that he was up and flying again, he was more cocky than before- if that was even possible.

"Hey Hollster, let me take those for ya." Playing the gentleman, he reached for the wing set as they walked towards Recon.

"Chix. It's Major Short to you," she grumbled, "but… thanks." She let him take the wings although she contemplated using the excuse of putting them away as the reason she was late.

"Well you're welcome, _Major._ If we're going to be all formal, then it's _Captain_ Verbil to you too." He was very proud of his relatively recent promotion. Sprites tended to put unnecessary emphasis on rank. "Though my promotion has me thinking of a change... what do you think of the name 'Digmee'?" he jeered at her.

"Digmee? What kind of name is that?" Holly cocked an eyebrow.

"You know... say it all together. C'mon, say it. The whole name."

Holly humored him. "Chix… Digmee." she groaned. "You wish, Verbil."

Chix laughed and she gave him a playful punch in the bicep.

The unwelcome banter had distracted her long enough to reach the main hall of Recon. Kelp's office was only steps away.

"You know there's only one girl I wish for, Hols." Chix wore a smug grin. Holly just shook her head, exasperated by his undaunted flirting. She was so relieved, never having to work a shift with him again. His come-on's were relentless.

"Nice bling, by the way. Was it a gift?" he pointed to her necklace but didn't get a chance to inspect it any further. Holly's hand instinctually flew up to her throat to cover the pendant.

"Thanks, yes it was." she answered quietly.

Of course, it was right at that moment that Trouble walked out of his office.

"Major." Trouble's voice was hollow. He was already in a foul mood. Holly's heart leaped into her throat, but she wouldn't let it affect her composure. She needed to control this situation. She turned to face Trouble with a calm and expressionless face.

"Yes?" she asked, playing innocent.

"My office." He growled, as he turned and disappeared into it.

Chix nudged her in the arm and whispered low to her. "What'd you do this time?"

Holly gave him a death glare. Chix wisely dropped the issue. "Let me... uh, put these away for you." he said, clutching the wing set defensively. "You… seem to be needed elsewhere." With that he darted towards the storage hanger, leaving Holly to face her fate.

Holly stepped into the office. "You asked to see me, sir?"

"Close the door."

Not a good sign. Holly shut the door, bracing herself for the inevitable onslaught.

"Holly. Have you lost your _mind_?" Trouble's voice was barely above a whisper, and hurt was evident in his tone.

"I'm sorry, sir?" She had thought it best to feign ignorance of the 'bug' until he first admitted placing it.

Trouble was leaning against the front of his desk, eyeing her. Holly could feel his stare rake over her body, and felt like he was boring a hole through her when his gaze locked at her throat. His expression changed from thinly veiled annoyance to bald-faced irritation. He advanced on her suddenly, inspecting the piece of jewelry. He knew she never wore anything she couldn't hide under clothes. As soon as he recognized it, he gave her vile look. He recoiled, so disgusted she thought he was about to spit on her.

Holly did everything she could to stay calm. That included keeping her traitorous mouth shut.

"Holly, he's a human. A Mud Man. And barely beyond a child- what _are_ you _doing?_" Trouble turned away from her, too upset to even look her in the eye.

"With all due respect, sir, you have no right to pass judgment on the choices I make regarding my personal life." Holly's voice remained level, but she knew it was too late. The fuse was lit. It was just a matter of time now…

Trouble snapped first. He had enough of this pretending, and spun on her, furious. "I have every right, Holly! You were mine first! You told me you weren't ready and I told you that I'd wait. You may have forgotten, but I've been waiting, Holly. These _30 years_, I've been waiting for you." He snarled, his volume raised but calculated not to be audible outside the small room.

Holly blanched at his comment. She had really hoped when they had been assigned to the same squad that things would finally be put behind them. It would seem that was not the case for him.

"I told you not to bother waiting. It's been over for me for a long time, Trouble." Holly answered coldly.

"And I told you I would anyway, because the day would come when you were ready to settle down, and I'd be there. Well I've always been here Holly, and now, it seems that time has arrived. And not only is your choice _not_ me, but he's not even an elf! What has gotten into your head! You hated the Mud Men just as much as everyone else back in the academy. Now you're... you're..." he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Trouble, that was so long ago! I was still a kid and so were you. We were just having fun. It was just a few times..." Holly tried to defend her past actions, to no avail.

"A few significant times, at least one in particular." he countered. Trouble was right. They had given each other their virginity during the night of Trouble's manhood ceremony. Trouble, being raised in a very old-fashioned manner, felt that this meant he had claimed her as his life mate, destined for partnership. Holly never saw it that way. When they became more serious, he had asked her to leave the force and live with him. Essentially, he'd proposed, and she turned him down as gently as she could. Her excuse was that she wasn't ready, the age-old reason given when trying to let someone down easy. _Why couldn't he take the hint like a man?_ She fumed.

Holly didn't know what to say that she hadn't already told him many times before. It was old-fashioned. Possessive. Obsessive. If a male elf said he didn't want to pursue a relationship further after intercourse, no one would judge him, let alone bat an eye at his decision. Even if that decision made his former lover undesirable to other prospective mates, since she was now 'used goods'. Trouble had pompously thought it honorable to wait for the time when she was ready to be his submissive mate. What other option would she have? But that time was never going to come.

"So tell me, Holly. What is it about that Mud Whelp that has you so interested? Money? Surface life? You know he'll be dead before you know it. Then what? You expect me to take you back after he's defiled you?" His scolding dripped venom with each word.

Holly's fuse ran out. A fleeting memory shot by: Artemis telling her not to over-react. She felt _this_ reaction was completely warranted. She pulled back a fist and hurled it straight for his nose.

The difference between decking a 12 year-old Artemis verses Trouble was mammoth. Artemis had never been hit in his life. Though, Holly always thought it would have done him some good. Trouble on the other hand, was a solider, and had been for many years. And as a solider, he was incredibly strong. In fact, Holly could imagine Juliet describing him as 'ripped'. He was a good looking elf- that's what initially attracted her. But, he just wasn't what she wanted anymore.

Trouble caught her fist in his palm. Using his other hand, he grabbed her other arm before that one came flying at him too. He pulled both her arms down hard against her body. Holly certainly didn't have the strength to resist him. He rammed her back against the office door with shuddering force. With his livid face inches from her own. She could smell the alcohol. He glanced again at the pendant around her neck. It was like a silent taunt.

Overtaken by anger, he yelled through gritted teeth, "YOU BELONG… _TO ME!_" and forced his mouth over her own. As soon as his mouth met hers, she bit him as violently as she could, simultaneously kneeing him in the crotch.

Trouble immediately released her as he stumbled backward. Holly was beyond pissed. Her right hook let fly and knocked him square on his ass. For good measure, she kicked him clean in the face, his head banging loudly against the front of his desk. Holly glared down at her incapacitated attacker, and spat his blood from her mouth. Trouble gaped at her as blue sparks of healing magic buzzed across his face, and there was a satisfying _click_ as his jaw fused back together. Holly let her face display as much contempt as she could muster, daring him to try something else.

"If you _ever_ mess with me, butt into my personal life, or spy on me again, _I will have your acorns_. And I'm not referring to the ones on your lapel!" With that, Holly whipped the door open, leaving the Commander on his ass, stunned and bloody faced. She spared no regard when she slammed the door shut on her way out. This caught the attention of a few of her fellow officers as she stomped into her office and shut that door with similar ferocity.

She slumped against the back of the door, clenching her burning eyes shut. _I'm glad I went with the boots _she thought. Sarcasm in the face of crisis always was her forte, but even that couldn't keep the tears from coming.

The remainder of the day, Holly never left her office. Captain Lili Frond, proudly sporting her new uniform, was the only officer stupid enough to enter. She dropped off a disk containing more work for Holly, whose eyes could have shot a laser beam through Lili's skull. She never liked the bimbo. She was the epitome of sexism and unfair familial advantage on the force. Not to mention she disrupted Holly's stewing. Oblivious to the fact, Lili was lucky to make it out of there with her head still attached.

* * *

Artemis was busy that day, putting his undoubtedly ingenious plan into action immediately. Once he made contact with his accomplices, he waited impatiently for nightfall to proceed.

After dark, Butler drove the Bentley up to the manor, to deliver Artemis at the rendezvous point. Butler was none too happy about being left out of this plan. Not only left out in knowing what the plan was, but not being allowed to accompany his charge. Butler had tried everything short of pleading, but Artemis wouldn't have it.

Arriving at the predetermined location, Artemis exited the car. It was spot in the middle of nowhere; farm country. He bid Butler farewell, and of course, Butler protested once again.

"Butler, I'm sorry, old friend." He reassured, "This time, you must trust me. I will be back here before dawn breaks tomorrow, I promise you. Please be waiting."

Butler reluctantly watched Artemis walk from the car. He realized that he was no longer the boy he helped raise, dangerous but frail. He was a young man now. Butler looked through the windshield into the darkness. There wasn't a soul in sight- just rolling green fields, actually a strange blue-black in the moonlight.

He checked the GPS again, verifying the exact coordinates. "Where's this contact of yours?" He asked.

By the time he looked up Artemis had disappeared, evaporated in the night air.

* * *

Holly was extremely grateful to be free from work. What a day she'd had. She'd promised to tell Artemis the moment she got home how everything went. She was deliberating on what to say, or more accurately, _how much_ to say. Did Artemis really need to know what was making Trouble so delusional? She feared his reaction, imagining Artemis somehow managing to ruin Trouble's life, which he was certainly capable of. Artemis had put corporate heads and psychoanalysts in insane asylums. Even Trouble didn't deserve to face Artemis's jealous vengeance.

Her blazer slung over her arm, she stumbled down her apartment building's hall. Exhausted by the physical _and_ mental energy exerted that day, Holly let out a sigh as she unlocked her lonely door. She realized that once inside, she'd be back to her reality. Her solitary, isolated, meaningless existence, consumed by the impossibility of her situation. She didn't know if she could handle it. She leaned on the door as it opened, and closed herself in the darkness beyond. In the hollow silence, she felt intense sadness overwhelming her. Tears pricked her eyes as she reached for the lights.

"Hello, darling."

Holly nearly jumped out of her skin. She clutched her chest to keep her heart from leaping out. She knew the voice. She just didn't know _how._ Yet, as the lights flickered on, there was Artemis sitting on her futon, fingers steepled, complete with vampire smile.

"How the hell did you get here?" Holly couldn't believe it. This had to be a hallucination. Stress induced, no doubt. The real Artemis didn't have permission to enter Haven, had no shuttle, and didn't even know where she lived...

"What kind of welcome is that?" The ghost asked. "I was hoping for something more along the lines of a hug and kiss." It seemed quite smug about scaring her half to death. The mirage put an arm over the back of the futon, and beckoned her to approach.

Holly shook her head in disbelief. _He can't be real… Only one way to find out._ She walked towards him and he smiled, closing his eyes as she placed her hand on his warm cheek. _He's… real. He's here. How in the hell- !_

Artemis's smile disappeared as he took her hand from his cheek and very gently kissed the inside of her wrist. He pulled her closer to him to softly kissed her lips. He sat back to look her in the eyes. His expression completely serious. "How was work?"

"Horrible- How'd you get here?" She replied, still stunned. Artemis had taken her other hand and gently raised it to place an equally soft kiss on her inner wrist.

"Me?" he whispered against her skin. "An ingenious plan and the right connections. Now elaborate on 'horrible'."

"Nu-uh. Not until you tell me exactly how you got down here. If you could break into the Lower Elements, that means someone else could."

Artemis scoffed. "Not likely. Though I will admit, I was sorely disappointed that your apartment lacks an alarm system. I must upgrade your security. And Ground level apartments statistically have a higher invasion ratio, as they are most accessible. There aren't even any sensors on your windows. I mean, honestly, just a deadbolt?"

Holly set her jaw sternly. "Tell me. Now."

Artemis rolled his eyes very dramatically. "Fine. I came through the Tara shuttle port, at the McGraney farm. Mulch 'borrowed' a starter-chip from an ambassador, who will not even know it is missing before it is returned. Doodah flew. I found your address amongst your personal affects this past weekend. I supplied it to Doodah, who had a vehicle waiting at the shuttle docking port and transported me to your apartment. I opened the door myself, and quite easily, as I mentioned. Sufficient?"

"Not entirely. How does a 5'8" Mud Man waltz through the busiest shuttle port in Haven without being detected?"

"Cam Foil. Anything else?"

"Yes…" she said, flustered. "Why?" Holly was disappointed with their security if he could get in that easily on a whim. Of course, he had help from two expert criminals on the inside. He also had illegally confiscated LEP technology to aid him. There were many times Holly was thankful that Artemis was an ally of The People and not an enemy. He had the potential to be more sinister than Opal Koboi.

"Well, dear. I suspected your day would not go well, and that it may be more of a comfort if we talked about it in person, rather than over the communicator."

He was right, of course. She had subconsciously willed him to be there when she opened the door, hence her doubting his apparition. A half smile crept up Holly's face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're unbelievable. I should arrest you for breaking and entering."

Artemis beamed a smile with a devilish glint in his eyes. "Will you, officer?"

"Shh" She said, kissing him. "You have the right to remain silent."

She kicked off her boots, climbed onto his lap and pulled herself tightly against his warm chest. This _was_ comfort. He returned her kiss with equal passion as his hands found their way to her waist. He could feel her blouse was tucked in, and he began tugging the fabric free. Before he knew it she had already made quick work of his tie and was down to the third button of his shirt. She pushed the jacket off his shoulders, pulled it from him and flung it behind the futon. She made no attempt to lay it flat. He was going home in a wrinkled suit and frankly, neither of them seemed to care at the moment.

As he made his way down the buttons of her shirt, he was very pleased to see she was, in fact, wearing the pendant he'd given her. By the time the top two were undone, he noticed the second necklace, and froze.

"Holly, I'm afraid I might touch your Book, by accident." Artemis had seen the pendant once before. He was a bit curious why she had not worn it over the weekend but figured it was probably just a precautionary measure. If he were to touch it without her permission, it would disintegrate instantly.

Holly bit her lip. "You can touch it. You have my permission." For a fairy to directly give a human permission to touch their personal copy of The Book… was completely illegal. Of course, Holly would have never given anyone, including him, permission, if he didn't already know everything The Book contained. Still, for some reason she found the illicit act erotic…

Artemis eyed her warily. Very slowly, he experimentally allowed his finger to graze the edge of the pendant. He waited. Nothing happened. He then gingerly lifted the locket sized book from her. He let it stay in his hand for a few moments. Still, nothing happened. Pleased that his touch didn't destroy her keepsake, he began examining it. It was a hexagon in shape, a little over a centimeter in size, with a delicate scrollwork design engraved into the gold casing. It appeared to be very old. Probably a family heirloom. He looked up to see her watching him just as intently. He wondered what it meant for her to allow him to touch this. Even though he had the secrets it held, she knew, especially as LEP, that it was strictly forbidden to allow any Mud Man access to The Book. In fact, even Holly wasn't entirely sure that her permission would have kept it from self-destructing. She was just as relieved as he was when nothing seemed to happen.

"It's beautiful. Was it passed down to you?" he asked her.

"Yes. It was my mother's… and from her mother before that. I'm not sure how long it's been in the family." Her breath had become unsteady as she nervously allowed Artemis to touch her most precious earthly possession. The exaggerated rise and fall of her chest brought his attention back to her body. He took the chains and made a motion to remove the necklaces, but she stilled his hand. "Leave them." She said. He released them, and returned to her buttons.

Pulling her blouse from off her shoulders, he let it fall to the floor behind her. He tenderly kissed the length from her shoulder to the dip behind her ear. His tongue traced up the outside of her small ear until it reached the pointed tip. As he began to suck gently there, he was surprised by her reaction. Her hands fisted in his hair as she ground herself against him. Artemis knew that elf ears were far more sensitive than a human's, but he didn't expect it to be erogenous. He scolded himself mentally for not thinking of this earlier.

"Oh gods, Artemis..." she moaned as his attention sent pulses throughout her body.

She had managed before to get through the buttons of his shirt and now tried to remove it entirely, but found her efforts thwarted. Artemis realized this and released her to undo his cuffs. Holly watched him as he removed each cuff link, and pulled his arms free from the sleeves. She saw an expensive looking watch on his wrist which she'd never seen him wear before. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What's with all the bling?" she asked.

_Bling?_ Artemis was not familiar with this term. "I'm sorry?"

"The cufflinks, the watch... you're gussied up. More than usual, I mean." she explained.

"Oh. I had… a business meeting." he said. This wasn't exactly true, since said meeting had not yet taken place, but he certainly did have a meeting to attend. "Besides, I always like to look my best for you, love." he returned to kissing her neck.

"If you're trying to impress me, you could have worn those tight-ass jeans." she quipped.

Artemis let out a small groan. "Maybe next time." he mumbled against her skin. _More like never, _he thought.

Having freed her from the blouse, the next logical item to remove was her bra. Artemis was certainly a master at this now and, in a one-handed pinch, it came undone. Holly, feeling the garment's release, let out a small chuckle. She really did wonder how this supposed virgin knew how to do that. She remembered the first time a _certain someone_ had tried to remove her bra. That _someone_ struggled for a minute straight before Holly just took it off herself.

He removed the bra from her arms and tossed it... somewhere. His kisses moved to her mouth, becoming urgent as he sought out her tongue with his own, his hands running up and down her bare back. When Holly felt his tongue against her own, she let out a moan. Artemis let his hands wander around her sides and over her breasts, gently brushing her nipples with his fingers. Holly shuddered, and threw her head back. She arched, making her breasts even more prominent. He lowered his lips to her nipple and suckled it gently. Holly began to grind against him again as her moans became louder and more erotic.

Artemis hardened member was responding to her call. He groaned in frustration. Neither of them would be able to strip any further in their current position. He lifted her up and set her standing on the floor in front of him. She stood there, a little confused until she saw his intent.

His belt and slacks were quickly undone and he lifted himself off the futon to remove everything from below his waist. She watched hungrily as he made quick work of his own clothes before moving on to hers. A little too efficiently, he excorticated her of both slacks and panties in one firm movement. He decided to leave the pair of lace stockings that came half way up her thigh. Artemis laid back against the futon and pulled her up to straddle his lap, and ran his hands down her thighs, over the thin fabric there, caressing right down to her toes.

Artemis had resumed kissing her mouth as one of Holly's hands, which were locked in his hair, began to trail down his chest to his abdomen. When she reached his cock, she wrapped her grasp around it firmly. Artemis let out a brief hiss before returning to her mouth. She was making him sweat and he felt retribution was in order.

Moving his kiss to her other ear, he pushed her lower back down and against him while palming her left breast. Holly let out a loud moan as she felt his shaft against her moist opening. She pulled herself forward on him, hungry for penetration, but he kept shifting her back. Holly was none too pleased by this teasing.

"Civilian, you'd better behave." she rasped in a husky voice.

Artemis smirked. "Sorry, officer." He spoke quietly into her ear, as her grabbed two firm handfuls of her ass and pulled her onto him, penetrating her deeply.

Both took brief pause when he entered her. Artemis groaned and Holly gasped. Holly had tightened drastically overnight, and even though it was a bit uncomfortable for her, Artemis was trying not to cream right then and there. A moment later her body remembered how to fit around him. Holly began a slow but steady rhythm, thrusting his shaft in and out of her body.

Artemis slid his hands up her back to pull her shoulders down as he bucked beneath her, synching with her rhythm. She was moaning loudly now and he could feel her walls beginning to tighten. Unfortunately, in this position, Artemis had very limited movement. He allowed Holly control over penetration but even she seemed to become frustrated with the lack of depth she was able to gain. With a frustrated huff, Holly climbed off of him, disconnecting herself entirely. Artemis's eyes grew wide wondering what went wrong. Holly scrambled back on to the futon beside him. She stood on the futon's seat, facing the back. She braced her arms over the top of the backrest as Artemis stared at her puzzled.

"Stand up!" she said impatiently, trying to snap him out of his stupor.

Shocked, Artemis obeyed, standing behind her. She curled her back, spreading her cheeks to make her wet entrance visible beneath. Artemis savored the sight of her lithe legs perched on the seat, her little feet on tip toes in the stockings. He wanted to look at her forever.

"If you're looking for an invitation, this is it!" Her voice was laced with sexual frustration. She eyed him over her shoulder and swayed her hips from side to side, wiggling her little butt for his amusement.

Artemis smirked in spite of himself. He ran his hands over her hips and aligned himself, slipping the head of his cock between her folds. Holly's fingers dug into the top of the futon's cushion in anticipation. Artemis didn't disappoint. With a swift movement, he stabbed into her, completely sheathing his length in a single thrust.

"Ahh!" Holly screamed in uninhibited pleasure. Her knees felt like they were going to buckle. Artemis grabbed her hips firmly and held her close to him. He started to move at a slow and steady pace as Holly moaned incoherently. When she finally said something he _could_ understand Artemis couldn't believe his ears.

"Hit me." she huffed.

"What?"

"Spank my ass, civilian!" she commanded.

"Holly, I don't think I could hit - "

_"DO IT!"_ she growled. And just like that, Artemis's hand came down on her butt cheek with a resounding _smack_.

"_Yessss..._" Holly hissed, relishing in the sensation of pins and needles from the impact. Artemis was shocked he had actually hit her, and was even more aghast that she enjoyed it. But upon impact, he felt her walls clench around him so tightly, he thought she'd push him out.

"Again!" she shouted. Artemis hesitated. This was definitely _not_ his style.

"Holly, you _like_ this?" he asked, a bit disturbed.

"Yes! Again!... Harder!"

He begrudgingly obeyed and another _slap_ echoed throughout the room. Right at the moment his strike made contact, he needed to shove against her contracting walls in order to stay inside her. The double stimulation sent her reeling as she shouted another lust-filled scream.

Artemis briefly worried what any listening neighbors would think. The thought left his mind when Holly started to plead.

"Oh... gods... A-Artemis... please." was all she managed. She pushed backwards against him, urging him to deepen the penetration, and reveled in the punishment he administered.

He spanked her other cheek, repeatedly and harder now, watching her wince and shudder with each strike. He resumed with thrusting into her extremely wet center. When he couldn't imagine her ass getting any more red, he wrapped his hand around to the front of her sex, finding her swollen clit.

Holly's moans escalated with her need. Artemis flicked her clit with two fingers while pulling himself almost entirely free from within her. With only a brief pause, he plunged back into her. Holly's screams increased in volume each time he repeated this long, forceful movement, faster and faster. His fingers were completely soaked with her fluids now and her walls were in a constant state of tension. He knew she was close.

"Come, Holly. I want to feel you come." he rasped to her.

With that, Holly came unraveled. Her moans suddenly died in her throat as her orgasm hit. There was silence for only a short moment until Holly came down from the initial explosion of her climax and screamed the loudest yet as each wave rocked her core. Juices streamed down her legs, soaking the stockings as her knees shook, threatening collapse.

Artemis moved his hand back, just to hold her up. This was only the second time he'd entered her from behind, and he drank in the sight of her bronze back and shoulders, her glistening muscles working with urgency to get him off. Her ass was still pink and raw from the spanking. He slid an arm around her waist and drove into her with fervid need now, each contraction of her walls deliciously stroking his length. They worked like this together until his release came, unusually intense from all the exertion. He froze momentarily, and strangled grunt escaped his lips before his strength left him. He grabbed the top edge of the futon where Holly braced herself, mostly to keep from collapsing on top of her. Panting, he rested his forehead between her shoulder blades, trying to catch his breath.

After a few deep breaths, he managed to pull out of her. She turned as she slid to her knees, and took his face in her hands as Artemis fell to the floor, his arms sprawled on the seat around her. He looked up at her, his face flush, full of breathless devotion. She managed a smile between her panting.

"You're marvelous, Arty." She said, stroking his raven locks. "Surprise me more often, okay?"

Artemis made a small smile in reply but words weren't coming yet. He laid his head in her lap, waiting for the stars to clear from his sight. Holly bent low over his heaving body, spreading her arms around him in a protective embrace. They held each other there for an immeasurable time, their eyes closed, until their strength returned.

When his senses arrived, Artemis realized he had answered Holly's question without getting a response to his own. He looked at her both shocked and impressed. "You distracted me with sex!" he proclaimed, quite disappointed with how his mind seemed to only travel on one direction when it came to Holly.

Holly managed to huff out a laugh. She knew he'd eventually get back to the topic, but she felt a little less stressed about talking about it now. "You got me. I guess it worked temporarily. You know this folds down." she motioned to the back of the futon.

"_Now_ you tell me." They both got up so she could pull the futon flat.

Artemis mused about how efficient her multi-purpose furniture was, though he still couldn't get over her tight living accommodations. She didn't even have a bedroom separate from the living space. It was essentially a studio flat, with the entire square footage about the same as his bedroom, not counting his en-suite, but with a ceiling half the height.

Holly rolled the damp stockings down off her legs and threw them towards her other laundry. She turned off all the lights but one, and grabbed several pillows and a blanket from out of a basket beside the futon. She threw them on top and laid down, patting the small space next to her for Artemis to join her. He did, but was immediately startled by the hard surface, perplexed how she could possibly sleep on it every night. Correctly assuming it rude to say anything, he simply tossed his arm over her bare hip and pretended to be comfortable. It wouldn't matter. He'd be leaving as soon as she was asleep.

"So work was, 'horrible'?" he asked, trying to revive their conversation.

Holly sighed. Her orgasm had almost pushed work from her mind… "Yes, horrible. I mean, it probably could have been worse. Trouble never did admit to the bug on the communicator, though he did make implications that he was aware of what was taking place."

"And so he provoked you, you went to hit him... and at some point he felt it necessary to restrain your arms." he cocked his eyebrow at her, daring her to deny it.

"How the _hell_ did you know that? You got a button cam hidden somewhere in his office?" Holly was a little annoyed. Was she wasting her breath?

"No, Holly. I wouldn't resort to the same illegal behavior as your Commander. I can see your swollen knuckles, and smelled the cheap cologne on your wrists, too masculine to be your own. Not to mention it was around your mouth, so unless you've suddenly developed an odd taste in fragrances, I can only assume the worse. Will you tell me about it?"

Holly was impressed but not surprised. She had been wondering why he was kissing her wrists, as that was not part of his usual foreplay. He must have smelled it as soon as she placed her hand on his cheek. It wasn't entirely shocking that Trouble's cologne got on her. He practically bathed in it.

"Yes, he made an attempt to _persuade_ me with an unwelcome kiss. He was unsuccessful." her wicked grin spread across her face.

Artemis smiled as the image of her thumping fists flying at Trouble's retreating form came back to mind. He quickly recomposed himself. He knew Holly could handle it but was still upset to hear that Trouble would have been so bold as to be forceful with her. Perhaps he _would_ have some words with the Commander.

"Did you hit him hard enough?" he asked, hoping the answer was 'yes'.

"You kidding? I _bit_ him hard enough to draw blood, nailed him in the balls, and shortly after that his face became acquainted with a right hook and a left boot!" Holly proudly proclaimed.

Artemis couldn't help but wince. Not that he thought Kelp didn't deserve it, but something about being 'nailed in the balls' didn't sit well. _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… _Still, he patted her back in a congratulatory fashion. He knew she was the last person anyone should force themselves upon. Even his own playful domination over her days ago had resulted in delightfully tortuous retribution.

"So what happened next? After you assaulted your commanding officer, I mean."

"I barricaded myself in my office and he left me alone. Everyone did. I'm pretty sure he got the message. In case he didn't, I made a threat to castrate him if he ever tried that shit on me again."

Artemis shook his head in disbelief. "You are vicious. I think we need to get you some anger management therapy. A simple kiss provoked you to react that harshly?"

"Well, in not so few words, he called me a worthless whore."

Any playfulness that had been in Artemis's voice up to that point suddenly died. He silently fumed and he began to plot. He would _definitely _be having words with the Commander.

"Any threats about the Council?" he asked, his tone completely cold.

"No. At least not yet. It seems he wants to keep this a 'private' matter. Though I wouldn't put it past him, if things don't turn out his way. Which they won't. That bastard needs to get laid and move on."

"Holly, are you the only female in your outfit?" Artemis thought that perhaps Trouble was trying to assert his position over all other male staff members. If anyone there was going to have her, it would be him. Kelp probably wanted to be top dog in every way of his unit.

"No, there's that ditz Lili Frond. She's got a desk job with Retrieval. Then the Commander over Retrieval is Freiya. But she's… older." Holly laughed at herself. If Artemis thought Holly was old, Freiya would be a living artifact.

"Interesting. Holly, I want you to notify me the instant something changes at work. I won't have you working in an environment where you are harassed or assaulted. The moment something happens, I will be forced to take action."

"Don't worry about it, I can handle it myself." Holly wasn't one to rely on anybody. This was her problem. Besides, worries of Artemis ruining Trouble's reputation- or even his sanity, came back to mind. Aside from his old-world thinking regarding Holly, Trouble was a credit to the LEP. He was probably the most decorated officer of his age. She wouldn't be surprised to see him in a velour Council chair within this century.

"If you say so." Artemis huffed. There was no point in arguing with her. She was unrelenting. And as long as she didn't make him promise _not_ to intervene, then he was still free to do so.

Happy to hear him concede, though skeptical of his sincerity, Holly rolled over on to her stomach, signaling the end to this topic of conversation.

Artemis slowly traced the line of her back and combed his fingers through her hair. He rubbed her bum cheeks where he had struck her, still disturbed that he had participated in that…

Before long, she was asleep. Artemis silently slipped from the uncomfortable bed, collected his clothes and started dressing. Even in the dim light, he could tell his suit was in dire need of pressing. He tried to smooth the wrinkles out with his hands but was not very successful. Finishing with his tie, he found the links he placed on her side table and returned them to his cuffs. He watched Holly's sleeping form. She was amazingly beautiful. Her perfect cherub-like lips pouted in a small 'o'. Artemis bent down to softly kiss her temple. He wondered if she'd be angry with him for leaving without saying goodbye. It would probably be best to leave a note, at the very least.

Artemis opened several drawers in the tiny side area that pretended to be a kitchen. He found a pen and note pad. As he removed the pad he immediately saw something beneath it that caught his eye. A photograph. He took it out to examine. He saw several elves in formal academy uniforms. Two of them were Holly and Trouble. The photograph seemed innocent enough on the surface, but something seemed strange to Artemis. Trouble had his arm discreetly around Holly's waist, and Holly appeared to be... blushing?

Subconsciously he knew Holly was hiding something from him, but Artemis wouldn't pry. If his suspicions were correct however, Trouble might have a reason for his possessive behavior. Though, if that were true, why wouldn't Holly tell him? Of course she would tell him. Wouldn't she?

He replaced the photo exactly the way he found it. Artemis sloppily scratched out a note for her and put the pen and pad back as well. He left the note on the side table before walking to the window. He checked his watch and knew he wouldn't have long to wait. Sure enough, he saw the van pull up and Mulch step out to approach the door. He didn't want him to knock and wake Holly. Finding the cam foil, he left silently and met Mulch halfway up the walk.

"Lock her door for me. I imagine that's not beyond your capability." he whispered to Mulch.

Mulch smiled. "Not beyond my capability, just rarely practiced."

With Holly's doors locked and everyone in the van, Doodah set off for their next destination. Artemis pulled off the cam foil and drew a deep breath. One last stop in Haven before heading home. He was 87.6% sure his hypothesis was correct. Only one person would be able to tell him for certain. Artemis needed to rally that person's support.

Mulch looked back at him and laughed hard. "You got sex hair, man!" he barely choked out.

Artemis frowned and pawed at his hair, to little avail.

Doodah paled. He was not on the same page as everyone else, but was catching up quickly. He looked back at Artemis who said nothing in confirmation or denial. He looked over to Mulch who had an enormous smile and was nodding his head furiously. Doodah just gawked out the windshield. "No... can't be... with _Holly?_" he whispered in disbelief.

"Believe it!" Mulch continued in his belly laughs.

Artemis groaned. Maybe he _was_ an attractive target, like Holly surmised. "Gentlemen, can we move beyond the topic of my love life and focus on reaching our next destination?" his tone was cold and very irritated.

"Confirmation enough for ya, Day?" Mulch elbowed Doodah in the side.

"You know, Mulch. You and my father would hit it off famously." Artemis wondered when the teasing would ever end.

"Sorry, man. Let's go find us a warlock!"

* * *

Holly woke up late for work yet again. She immediately noticed Artemis wasn't there, but she didn't really expect him to be. His presence had almost been like a dream. She hurriedly replaced each item of clothing as she located it, scattered about the room. She couldn't find wherever the bra ended up so she just grabbed another one from a drawer. Quickly, she combed her hair and ran the tooth brush over her teeth. Right as she was about to fly out the door, she noticed a note on the side table.

She picked it up and read the words, eloquently scripted in perfection:

_"Holly, Sorry I couldn't stay. Someday we'll go home together. You belong with me. Love, AF."_

In that very moment she had the answer to Trouble's question. Why she chose Artemis over him. Artemis said "_with" _when Trouble said _"to"._ It made all the difference.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Was the spanking too much? What is Arty up to with the warlocks? What did you think about Trouble and Holly's past? I'd love to hear your thoughts! I will update after I get my mandatory ten reviews on this chapter. Thank you all for your support. Please please please review!**


	10. Distrust

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I will continue to post as soon as I both receive the required 10 reviews per chapter and when I have time… (sorry, I actually have a pretty hectic life). This chapter is introducing tension. You can't have a decent plot line without some kind of obstacle or tension at some point. Needless to say, no smut in this one. Sorry. **

**Once again, thanks to my hubby who performs all beta proof-reading for me and adds nice zingers in the dialog. He also did the research on the car, which, btw, if you haven't looked up the Fowl Bentley, do it. It will add a whole new level of what a spoiled prince Arty is.**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl, blah blah blah. Don't sue me.**

* * *

Butler was at the rendezvous point 45 minutes early. He sat in the gleaming Bentley Arnage Red Label, the 6.75 litre V8 twin turbo humming impatiently under the hood. Butler himself was not inconvenienced, only concerned for his young charge's safety. By now, he had gathered that Artemis's plan was covert entry into Haven. He only hoped the plan worked, and Artemis made it back without incident. He let time tick by to the tune of the motor's 16 valves, wasting gallons of petrol in the process. Butler was too consumed with worry to notice.

Only minutes before dawn, Artemis appeared from the shadows, right where Butler left him the evening prior. He was more than just a little relieved to see Artemis make it back on time and unharmed. "Good morning, Artemis." He said.

"And to you, Butler." Artemis replied as he entered the automobile. He immediately reached for the distilled Irish Spring water that was located in the refrigerated center console. "Is there anything to eat here?" He continued to rummage.

"There is, caviar and water crackers." Butler passed the food back to Artemis, who accepted it gratefully.

"Excellent." Artemis consumed the snack with a little less grace than normal.

"They don't feed the humans in Haven?" Butler mused.

Artemis managed a smile. "I did eat dinner prior to leaving and it isn't technically breakfast yet so I didn't anticipate the need for a meal."

"You are a growing boy." Butler took a look at his crumpled suit and disheveled hair. "Or perhaps you just worked up an appetite." Butler couldn't help himself from taking a stab.

Artemis caught his meaning and simply gave him a smirk. "Perhaps." It'd be rude to kiss and tell.

Artemis was unusually chatty during the trip home. Butler had no doubt from the beginning that Artemis had gone to see Holly, but he had full confirmation as Artemis rambled on.

"Did you know Holly's apartment is only a single room? One room! And not a very big one at that. And there's no toilet in her house! She has a bathroom of course, but it's just a vanity and a standing shower, and tiny. Her bed is as hard as stone and worst of all is she has absolutely no security system to speak of."

Butler smiled as Artemis continued to go on about certain aspects of Holly's place. It might be considered average for some humans. Even luxurious for others…

"Oh, and Doodah and Mulch send their regards." Artemis said.

"I figured that's who'd get you down there. So there weren't any problems? You got through all the security?" Butler asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't have risked it if I wasn't absolutely sure I could do it." Artemis said as he finished his last bite of food.

Artemis was talking to keep himself awake. He hadn't slept in over twenty hours and exhaustion was taking its toll on him. His meeting with the warlocks went reasonably well. Still, he was not happy with certain… complications. Artemis was having serious second thoughts about proceeding as planned. It seemed as though partnering would reap untold benefits for himself, but ask for immeasurable sacrifice from Holly. It didn't seem right. Then there was the photograph he'd discovered...

The conversation died. Artemis was entirely silent. Butler looked back through the rear-view mirror at him. As suspected, he was out cold, drooling on the Italian leather seats. He knew the only time Artemis got chatty was when he was extremely overtired. They arrived at the manor minutes later.

"Artemis... Artemis, we're home." Butler tried to wake him... but knew a losing battle when he saw one. When Artemis was asleep, he was _asleep_. Someone might as well have injected him with sedatives.

Butler put the car in park and opened Artemis's door. "Artemis?" Nothing. Butler sighed. He was not the fit 47 year old he should be. The 'resurrection' that Holly performed on him six years ago had aged him at least 15 years. Still, he figured he could still heft all of Artemis's 148 pounds up the stairs. Grabbing him around the waist, Butler lifted Artemis out of the car and slung him over his shoulder. Artemis hung there, drooling the whole way.

* * *

Twelve hours later, Artemis bolted awake in his bed, surprised to find himself still in his clothes. _Assess the situation. _Butler had taught him to do this when waking in unfamiliar circumstances. He didn't remember coming home. He quickly went through his memories, fearing he was wiped in the event his trip had failed. He seemed to remember his visit with Holly, meeting up with Doodah and Mulch, more teasing, then his meeting with the warlocks. He remembered Butler in the Bentley and eating caviar, but nothing after that. He must have passed out in the car. Artemis sighed. He couldn't believe he was moved without waking. When was he ever going to be through this dreaded puberty?

Artemis got out of bed, stripped his wrinkled clothes off, and headed to the bathroom to complete his morning routine, even though it was after 6 p.m. At least he'd get in dinner before his family went to bed. After his shower, Artemis found a freshly pressed suit and headed down to the kitchen for his first meal of the day.

He was the first of the Fowls in the kitchen. Of course, Butler was there, cooking. He watched as Artemis prepared himself a pot of Earl Grey and shuffled over to the breakfast bar. Butler took one look at him and smiled. His hair was still wet and there were dark circles under his eyes. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, no. Thanks." Artemis was still tired. Even though he had slept for hours, he didn't feel very rested. He had disturbing dreams while he slept. Lately, his dreams had become very vivid. He had read that was another curse of puberty. In his most recent dream, he watched as Holly walked down the aisle in a white wedding gown. As the dream progressed, he realized his perspective was of one in attendance. As Holly reached the altar, the groom came into view to accept her hand. It was Trouble Kelp. It was the image that forced him so suddenly awake, and being the last thing he dreamt about, it was what stuck in his head the strongest.

His family finally joined him and Butler in the kitchen. His father cocked an eyebrow at his son's appearance but didn't bother to say anything. He didn't look like he was in the mood for more teasing. Artemis joined them at the table, sighing inwardly at the empty seat next to him. Butler served up dinner, seared swordfish steaks with steamed vegetables. Artemis groaned. He didn't really feel like fish. He was picking away at the vegetables when his mother addressed him.

"Arty, are you feeling okay? You look awful." Angeline said.

"Thanks, mother." he said with all sarcasm intended. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"Have you heard from Holly?" she inquired.

_Holly...Bloody Hell!_ He'd meant to call her before then. Now she would have spent the entire day at work without hearing from him, and who knows what Trouble put her through. Artemis stood suddenly, muttered a weak excuse and ran back to his room. He found his communicator and saw the 4 missed calls. He dialed quickly and held the device to his ear.

Artemis thought about how relieved she'd be to finally hear from him, the ecstasy, pure joy at the mere sound of his voice, when she answered.

"_What the fuck_, Artemis! You better be dead in a ditch somewhere! I was giving myself a damn ulcer thinking something happened. Is everything okay? Are you home?" Holly's voice belted out of the phone with painful volume.

"Uh, Yes, everything is fine. I'm so sorry. I didn't even make it into the house conscious if it's of any consolation to you." Artemis apologized to little effect.

"No, not really. I started to panic when you didn't answer my calls, so I went digging through the security recordings for the cameras in the Tara shuttle port. Diggums and Day didn't leave until 5:00 a.m. What time did you leave my place? I thought you left right after I fell asleep, and I knew I passed out just after 1:00 a.m."

_Lie_ his mind said, involuntarily. _She doesn't need to know about something I'm unsure about going through with. It isn't the right time. _"I… fell asleep as well. You know how taxing coitus can be for me, Love."

Holly didn't argue, but she knew he wasn't telling the truth. She had woken briefly at 2:15 a.m. and he was already gone. Even if he had just walked out the door before she woke up, there was a three hour lapse until his departure from Haven. Why was he lying? What was he hiding from her?

_Change the subject _he thought. "I didn't get much sleep on the ride home, you know. Doodah is one hell of a pilot. He took us up that shaft at a breakneck speed! But of course you've broken quite a few records yourself as I seem to remember, Miss Ace Pilot. I hope I'm never in a shuttle again with _you_ at the helm." He chuckled, but was only partially joking. Holly was a real hot-shot. The last time Artemis was her passenger had been a truly terrifying experience. Artemis hated how reckless she could be. The fact that Holly worked a dangerous job was becoming increasingly stressful to him. "Holly, I..." he paused trying to find the right words to express his sudden displeasure with her choice in occupation.

"What?" she questioned his abrupt stop. Artemis wasn't one to be at a loss for words.

"I just wish you'd choose a less hazardous occupation. I worry about you."

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm trapped behind a desk 90% of the time, signing off on e-forms and pouring over case files. It's got to be the safest job in the entire LEP." _And the most boring_.

Artemis wasn't convinced. Holly would find herself a field assignment every once in a while just to get out of the office and above ground. Holly loved the surface. Artemis could give her that. But she lived for action. Could she be satisfied with a dull life, with a fragile human? "When will I see you again?"

"I don't know. With Trouble being so stupid lately, it might be a little while."

Artemis sighed. "All right. Let me know if I can help in anyway."

"I will, but don't hold your breath." His offer still made Holly uneasy. And she didn't want to be beholden to Artemis for getting her out of a mess she made herself.

"Well, I suppose I should let you get some sleep."

"You should get some too." Holly countered.

"I just slept half the day away. I plan to be up for a few more hours." Artemis replied.

"Well don't go plotting any dastardly acts while you're at it." she said, sarcastically. "I'll call you tomorrow when I get home from work, and don't leave me hanging this time."

Artemis smiled. "Okay. Love you."

"Night, Arty." She said, and the line abruptly went dead. Artemis was left hanging for a moment, but rallied his senses. She was just overtired. She'd be better tomorrow.

'Dastardly acts' were exactly what he was planning. Regardless of any history Trouble and Holly may have had, Kelp had no right to be forceful with her. He was going to need to educate Commander Kelp on the proper way to treat a lady.

He checked the time. 6:49 p.m. If being a high level LEP officer was anything like being a top ranking official or executive on the surface, then Trouble would still be at work. For Artemis, hacking into a personal terminal in the LEP was easy enough if he wasn't trying to download anything. He could get through in less than two minutes.

Artemis's hands flew over the keys of his laptop at light speed. He hummed to himself casually as he broke down each layer of protection Foaly had on the LEP's mainframe. He'd probably be noticed and booted out in less than five minutes but that should suffice for what he needed to say.

Trouble Kelp was still at work. He was, after all, addicted to his job. But lately, he felt like he lived there. Being a commander wasn't all he had hoped it to be. He was going over performance reviews for his staff when his screen spontaneously activated.

"Good Evening, Commander." Artemis greeted Kelp with his signature sardonic grin.

"Fowl. What do _you_ want?" Trouble snarled.

"Yes I'm well, thank you." Artemis continued in his mocking tone. "We haven't spoken in some time. I thought a call was in order."

"I have nothing to say to you, Mud Boy."

"All the better, that will keep this conversation brief. _I_ have something to say to _you_." Artemis tone was much more serious now, even threatening.

"Yeah, what?" Trouble spat.

"It has come to my attention that you have treated a certain female friend of mine with far less respect than she is worthy. Holly speaks highly of you as an officer so I would have expected better. I certainly hope that yesterday's incident will be an isolated one."

Trouble smirked. _So she ratted to her mud man, did she?_ "You're right, Fowl. I don't like being forceful with Holly. But sometimes Holly doesn't know what's best for her, like sticking with her original mate." Trouble was curious to see what Artemis's reaction would be. He wondered if Holly had told him about them. Based on Artemis's expression, the answer was 'no'.

Very pleased to be the one to drop the bomb on a speechless Artemis, he elaborated. "What, you mean she didn't tell you that, Mud Boy? That she _gave_ herself to me? Do you know what it means for a female elf to give her virginity? It means she made a choice. A _life-long_ choice." Trouble proclaimed, haughtily.

Artemis was taken a back by this revelation. He knew in the back of his mind this was possible. All of the evidence was present, the factors aligned. The realization that he'd been vainly denying the proof all along hit him hard. Artemis always suspected something more than friendship between them, but the sudden confirmation was heartbreaking. Nevertheless, this process took place behind his best poker face. Outside the video frame, Trouble couldn't see his fists balled in confused fury.

"If she is your 'life mate' as you so claim, why is it that you two are not together, nor have been for many years?" Artemis countered.

"Holly is... unique. She likes to proclaim that I have no rights to her which is entirely false. Her promiscuous behavior is certainly something that will need to be addressed. It will not be tolerated in the LEP. We are to be exemplary in all conduct so as to set a fine example for the citizens we live to serve and protect."

"Exemplary behavior does not include forcing oneself upon an unwilling female." Artemis was beginning to lose his composure.

Trouble couldn't resist the temptation to call Artemis out on his own behavior with Holly. "Yes and you would know all about that, wouldn't you? At least, Holly really _is_ part of my staff, and I don't have to play _pretend_ with her."

Artemis recoiled. Of course, Trouble was referring to Artemis's and Holly's little role-playing episode. Artemis had forgotten Trouble's eavesdropping. "That... is completely different. I said forcing oneself upon an _unwilling_ female. There is an enormous difference."

Trouble hated to admit that Holly had played along with Artemis's sick little game. "None of that matters, Fowl. Holly and I were fucking before you were even as much as a twinkle in your father's eye. And we will be again, once you're dead. Holly's just having a little fun right now. It won't be long before she's done with you, or at least, you'll be done with her. I am correct that human males have difficulty with sexual relations after only 50 years of age? That's a crying shame. I was 63 when Holly and I consummated our relationship and I still have at least another eight centuries of _activity_ left in me." Trouble was trying to provoke Artemis in any way he could.

"Commander Kelp, do not assume you have all the facts..." Artemis began but was rudely cut off.

"You want facts? Did she tell you she was used goods before you started fucking her? Of course not. Because in elf culture, it's despicable. She is so determined to prove her point that she doesn't belong to me, that she had to go out and find someone else that would have her. She knew the only male that would take her would have to be human, since you people have no moral standards."

"Think what you want, _Kelp,_ but just remember: Holly doesn't belong to you. Nor to me, or anyone else for that matter. And until you remember how to treat her with dignity, she will never respect you." Artemis knew he had him on that, and refusing to lose the upper hand, terminated the conversation. Of course, while the connection was still hot he sent a worm virus into Kelp's computer. It would destroy everything on his hard drive, and hopefully much of his day's work. It was going to be a long night for the Commander.

Artemis slumped back in his desk chair, his mind reeling. Why hadn't Holly told him? She had always denied anything beyond friendship with Trouble. The only logical reason… could Kelp's words be true? Was she just using him? She had been keeping secrets from him. And if she wasn't telling him about this, what else was he in the dark about?

* * *

The next morning, Holly strolled into the main doors of Police Plaza with her head held high. She wasn't going to put up with anyone's shit today. She needed to control the situation before Artemis decided to intervene. Just because she was female didn't mean she needed a knight in shining armor. She sure as hell wasn't anyone's _damsel in distress_.

Besides, she wasn't ready to tell him the truth regarding her and Trouble. She feared he'd think of her just like every other male might. A slut. Multiple sexual partners for a female elf was highly looked down upon.

Holly heard her name being called out from behind her. She turned, to see in the distance, No.1 waving madly at her. Holly smiled as he made his way towards her.

"Good day, Major Short." he addressed her, much too formally. Then again, she was at work and in uniform. No.1 always had impeccable manners.

"Hello, No.1. Haven't seen you in a while. What brings you to Police Plaza?" Holly inquired.

"Oh, I was requested to perform a rather difficult healing at the LEP hospital. It seems one of the Retrieval members was mauled most cruelly by a troll. Indeed, it tore his whole left side off!"

"Frond be with him, did he survive?" Holly asked, aghast.

"Oh yes, he's _all right_ now!" No.1 smirked, lost his composure, then guffawed loudly at the pun. Holly was less impressed…

"I certainly hope you don't share that one with the victim." She said flatly.

"I'm sure he'll laugh too, if we achieve the desired results in this operation. You see, Qwan and I have been working on a new (well actually, quite old) spell that has the potential to regenerate lost limbs." he explained.

"Wow, really? That's incredible. Do you really think you can do it?" Holly asked. If this was possible, she wondered if it would work on a human. At least on one specific human she knew who was missing half his leg.

"Yes, actually I don't really think it will be too hard. I've been going through all the old texts since yesterday, about the time Artemis came to see me. They are very simply written. In any case, a simple limb regeneration is nothing in comparison to what Artemis is asking for. Have you two made a decision whether or not to go forward? Though it would be the talk of Haven, things should proceed without trouble." No.1 had a terrible problem of letting his mouth run uncensored, and Holly had a terrible problem of jumping to conclusions.

She was stunned. Artemis hadn't mentioned speaking with No.1. And he certainly hadn't said anything about No.1 casting any kind of spell that would involve her or Trouble. Holly was instantly angry. He was lying _again._ He'd gone to the warlocks and not told her about it. Holly wagered he was planning some devilish revenge on Trouble, and exploiting No.1's kindness to do so. She would be having words with him…

No. 1 immediately recognized the expression that was forming on Holly's face. It told him 'Oops, you've said too much once again'. A thought he'd had many a time in his life. He scrambled for some way to cover his indiscretion, but No.1 couldn't lie. It just wasn't in his nature.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't prod. I'm sure you'll let me know if and when I can be of any service. You know I hold you and Artemis in the highest regard. You two saved my race. I'll help in any way possible." No.1 tried to say something kind and calming. It didn't work. _Exit, stage left…_ "Please send Artemis my regards." With that, No.1 hurried on towards the medical center in the east wing of LEP Headquarters.

Holly's disposition had completely morphed from confidence to one of hurt-filled rage. _Liar! He will never learn!_ she thought to herself as she stomped into her office. Her expression became even more livid when she saw Trouble was already in there waiting for her.

"Major, you have a terrible problem with tardiness. Am I going to have to put this in your review or is this something that will be improving?" he said curtly.

"Kelp, don't you start with me today. I'm already pissed so I can't promise the safety of your male parts if you provoke my last nerve." Holly growled.

Trouble half-smiled at her mood. Perhaps something was said to her last night to make her so angry this morning. This may be the time to make a calculated move. Something the Mud Boy had said to him did strike a nerve. When Trouble and Holly were in the academy together, she befriended him (and more) because he was always encouraging her goals. Of course, Trouble had no desire to see Holly become an LEP officer. It was no place for a girl. He was just trying to appease her and it had always seemed to work. Fowl said he needed to treat her with respect and dignity. That sounded fair enough.

"Holly. I am sorry about the other day. That was... extremely unprofessional of me, and unkind to you. I promise you it won't happen again." Trouble apologized meekly.

Holly mellowed a degree or two. The great Trouble Kelp admitting he did something wrong? Very unusual. She was so shocked by his apology that she felt obliged to forgive him. Still, admitting so would show weakness on her part.

"Glad to hear it, Trouble. Now, let's move on with our lives. Agreed?" Holly replied sternly.

Trouble knew what her double-meaning was, but still humored her. He'd never _move on_ from her. "Agreed." he said. She was the one who needed to move forward with her life. She had no future with a Mud Man. He felt it necessary to drive that point home. "Did Artemis tell you he called me last night?" he inquired smugly.

Holly felt her face flush as the anger burned inside her. He was meddling now. Lying and meddling. "No, he did not tell me. May I ask why he called?" she asked stiffly.

"Oh, just this and that. Mostly you, of course." Trouble said in a very casual tone. "He was rather upset with me for not treating you, well, as you deserve. It was the one thing he was right about. Though, he seemed to be quite intrigued by the fact that you never told him about _us._" Trouble couldn't completely hide the smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Holly's voice shot through two octaves. "You _told_ him?" she screeched.

Trouble feigned innocence. "I was under the impression that he was already aware. Why _is_ it that you never told him, Holly?"

"NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Holly stormed out of her office, heading straight towards the storage lock-up.

"Where are you going, Major?" Trouble called after her, like he didn't already know.

"You know damn well where I'm going..." Holly muttered. Trouble followed her as she grabbed a pair of Hummingbird wings.

"You can't go anywhere without a visa, Holly. And may I remind you that you're currently on duty." Trouble told her, though he knew she'd disobey him anyway.

"You _owe_ me, Trouble. I should take your ass straight to the Council after everything you've put me through this past week." She put her face right in his, threateningly. "You're career might survive but your Council appointment hopes would be in the shit can!" she hissed.

Trouble knew she was right. If of course, she could prove it. It was really her word against his. And Holly was already pretty famous as an insubordinate. Still, he didn't want to hold her back now. Especially since she was obviously going to go see Artemis when she was full of rage. Figuring this may turn out in his favor, he played the 'nice guy'.

"Okay, Holly. You've got eight hours. I want this situation with the Mud Man resolved so that you can get your head back to work. Go take care of things, but remember: you've only got eight hours before I send Retrieval One, got it?"

"Whatever." Holly spat in a completely ungrateful tone as she strapped on the wing set. Holly's mind spun, she knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. _Why did Artemis have to meddle? Why did Trouble tell him? Why am I only attracted to assholes who drive me insane?_

* * *

Artemis was lying on his bed, doing nothing particular, other than sulking. He didn't have anything important to do today, or at least, nothing that couldn't wait. He hadn't joined his family for breakfast that morning. Instead, Butler had brought him something to eat which he barely touched. Butler could see that Artemis was depressed, even if he was fighting showing it. When Butler entered his room and found him back in bed as opposed to at his desk, he was really concerned. Artemis had told him that he just needed to meditate, but his red rimmed eyes told another story.

Holly reached Fowl Manor but she could see that Artemis's bedroom window was closed. It didn't matter. If he was there, she's make him open it. If he refused, she'd bust it.

Holly adjusted the throttle and hovered at his window. She rapped on it loudly. "Artemis! I swear you better open this window before I break it!" she called from the outside.

Artemis started. Holly was here- but his initial elation diffused as he remembered he was supposed to be angry with her. He opened the window and she flew in, shimmering into visibility.

Holly didn't waste any time dicing him to pieces. "Artemis! Why the hell do you have to butt into my business? I had everything under control with Trouble. You had no right - "

"No right?" Artemis countered. "I have every right! Holly, why didn't you tell me you were Trouble's mate? I think that makes it very much _my business."_

"I was going to tell you... eventually. It shouldn't matter! That all happened in the past- the distant past." Holly said defensively. "Besides, I'm not the only one who hasn't been telling the whole truth. I ran into No.1 today and he told me you went to visit him. So much for 'went right home', Artemis! What do you want the warlock for?" Holly demanded. "If you so much as lay a finger on Trouble I swear…!

Artemis was aggravated that No.1 had revealed that he had spoken with him. He knew he couldn't trust that demon to keep his mouth shut. And why the hell was she defending Kelp? Did she want to keep him around for when "after" Artemis's lifespan was up? Then again, if she was asking about his intent for seeing No.1, then she didn't know what Artemis had been originally planning. "Like you said, Holly. Don't butt into my business." he answered hotly.

Holly wasn't used to Artemis being harsh with her. Holly was hurt momentarily but returned quickly to the ball of fury she was when she first flew in. "It _is my business_, Artemis! He told me that it involved me, so you better start talking."

"It doesn't matter now! I was simply curious about something and I was not happy with what he had told me so I felt it unnecessary to share with you. Now, why would you think that your previous relationship with Trouble wouldn't be _my business?_ He told me your culture dictates that you are his life mate! Is this true? How would your past relations not effect me if you were not available? Why are you cheating on your _mate_ with me_?_ You should be with him." And Artemis believed it. Kelp was her species, her age, would live just as long, and wouldn't pull her away from her career. "He is obviously the better choice for you."

"That's a load of bullshit! I told you he's living in the stone age. We were just kids, with over active hormones! I had no intent of becoming his life-mate from the beginning- and he knew that from the get-go. He was completely delusional, thinking he'd persuade me someday, and he still is. Now tell me honestly what you were doing with No.1? What are you plotting, Artemis?" she asked accusingly, turning the tables on him.

"World domination, of course." Artemis sarcastically replied. He was even more irritated that Holly would assume ill of his intentions. He had gone to No. 1 to see if it were possible for him to partner with Holly. Apparently, No.1 had said it would be, but would have multiple negative effects to Holly, possibly even reducing her lifespan. Artemis was so disappointed by the news that he figured it wasn't even worth bringing it up with Holly.

"Fine, Artemis. Keep your damn secrets. Just don't expect me to trust a word that comes out of your mouth ever again." Holly started up her wings, hovering at eye level with him, ready to make her dramatic exit.

Artemis fumed that she was turning this on him when she had been the one who was hiding a major secret from him. He was the victim. She was only using him. _How dare she?_ "What about you, Holly? Is there anyone else? Maybe you got passed around the force, any more officers I should know about? Should I go get myself tested for some fairy STD's?" He regretted the words the instant they left his mouth.

Holly gasped, intensely hurt. Of course there wasn't anything like STD's in the Lower Elements, Artemis knew that. He must have been trying to drive home the point… that she was a slut. It was exactly how she'd feared he'd react. His words cut right through her. She couldn't even make a defensive reply. Her tears streamed down as she slapped him across the face with all the force she could muster.

Artemis was stunned that Holly had hit him. He knew he'd crossed a line. Holly was halfway out the window when saw the tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Holly, wait." he tried to call after her but Holly was already gone. Artemis was frozen in horror, unable to understand what he just said, what he did. He made her cry. The unforgivable offense, for any gentleman. He had just become so angry over the fact that she didn't feel Trouble was anything he should know about. But now, he couldn't remember why it even mattered. He knew Holly wasn't promiscuous. He could scarcely imagine what he had implied.

Then he remembered her comment regarding her past relationship with Trouble. They were 'just kids with overactive hormones'. Artemis couldn't help applying that to himself. Was that was all she saw him to be? Maybe she didn't love him at all.

* * *

Holly made her way back into Police Plaza, trying desperately to compose herself. Her time on the surface had only taken two hours, round-trip. It would have been even shorter if she could have caught an earlier shuttle. Trouble was surprised to see her back so early. Surprised, but not disappointed, especially when he saw her expression. He approached her with calmness and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. His act needed to be flawless for her to not see through it.

Holly spoke up. Her voice was scratchy from her crying. Her voice was very quiet as she spoke to the commander. "The 'situation' has been resolved... or more accurately, dissolved."

Trouble fought every desire to shout for joy. He had his chance to win her back. Time for his ace in the hole. "Holly, I'm sorry you're hurting. But you know, you don't have to."

Holly looked at him, puzzled. Of course she was going to hurt. She was fighting with a man she thought she loved. He had cut her with thoughtless words. He lied to her. Her relationship with him was falling apart. Why wouldn't that hurt? He was probably trying to tell her not to waste any tears over Artemis. She wanted to agree with him, even if it was impossible.

"Holly, we can fix this. I can have Foaly clear your mind of your…" _indiscretion, disgusting behavior, unspeakable anathema..._ "_relationship_ with him. You would have no memories of being with him that way. I could even have him wiped too, so that you two could go back to being friends like nothing ever happened. If that's what you'd like."

Holly's eyes widened. Wipe her whole relationship away like it never happened? She couldn't. She wouldn't. Still, she didn't think she could ever trust Artemis again. Besides, their relationship wouldn't be able to go anywhere. What benefit would these memories be other than to torment her? Maybe she _could_ go back to having her friend, without any awkwardness. Holly didn't immediately answer Trouble as she pondered the pro's and con's. She was desperate to escape the pain. "I'll… have to think about it." she finally replied.

She didn't say no. That was fantastic news for Trouble. He would just need to keep her close now, while she was still in a vulnerable state. "Okay, Holly. I won't push you to do anything you don't want to. Just know it's there for you, and I'm here for you too." he added, warmly.

Holly saw the man Trouble used to be breaking through. Her best friend back in the Academy. One of the only males who treated her with respect, and actually encouraged her. The kind elf who was always loving and considerate of her feelings. That Trouble was also there for her when her parents died. Holly was beginning to assume that all teenage males went through some stage of being a total jackass. Trouble was finally making his way out of it as Artemis was entering it.

"Thanks, Trouble. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a personal day." Holly spoke barely above a whisper.

"Of course. I'll cover anything that needs attention." he answered kindly.

With that, Holly left work and headed home. She couldn't believe how things had turned over. She had been so stupid to fall in love with a human in the first place. She really was being careless. She seriously considered Trouble's offer of the wipe. It couldn't be just her and Artemis's memories, but the entire Fowl household. That wasn't an appealing idea. She'd only consider going that far if he wanted it too, which would mean her having to talk to him. She just wasn't ready to do that yet. Maybe in another week or two. Maybe longer.

Holly entered her lonely apartment and fell into the chair by her vanity. She looked at herself in the mirror and was disgusted with how pitiful she looked. Tear stained cheeks with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. Pathetic. Her gaze fell, to the Fowl crest pendant still hanging around her throat. She wrenched it off and stuffed it in the drawer that held her uniform's cravat: the drawer of things that would never grace her neck again.

* * *

**So I hope you're not all going to kill me now. I do have a plan. And for those of you who haven't read this before, I won't spoil it but I'll tell you now, I'm not a fan of unhappy endings. ;)  
You know the drill... review! Or Holly will hunt you down and release her fury upon you!**


	11. To Hell

**A/N: ****Oh, what good little lambs you all are. 10 reviews in less than 24 hours. That's what I like to see.**

** This is a rather emotional chapter so it wasn't exactly easy to write. I tried to inject a small amount of comedy in it with Juliet. I even got Arty back in his jeans (you're welcome, Ru.) Also, my choice for Arty's cologne was based on 2 reasons: the first being, it's my fav smell on a guy :D, the second being it's an Armani cologne and we all know Artemis is an Armani whore. LOL.**

**Warning! I have to tell you I leave this chapter on a major cliff hanger. :D I won't leave you there long. Not as long as I get my 10 reviews… mwa ha ha ha ha**

**Thanks again to my editor and husband. You made this chapter more 'epic'. **

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

It had been two weeks, four days, and 16 hours since Artemis had the argument with Holly. But then again, who was counting?

During all that time, Artemis never left the manor. He rarely ate with his family, or ate at all, and spent a lot of time holed up in his bedroom or study. He imagined Holly was handling this whole thing a lot better than he was. But of course, he would never know that since she'd probably never speak to him again. And why would she? He had committed the most reprehensible act he could imagine. He had caused the love of his life indelible pain. He implied that she was worthless, disgusting, unwanted. He still couldn't remember why. It seemed so right in the moment… but it was all wrong now. Nothing was right anymore.

Over the weeks of self-pity, Artemis had realized a whole new level of damage from his outburst. He was angry because Holly had not told him about her previous relationship. What would be her reasoning for her hiding such a thing? Because he would think ill of her. At least, that's what she assumed. He had proven her exactly right. Now he wished… he never knew anything.

Artemis didn't honestly think of Holly as promiscuous. She would have told him about her past in time. When she knew he wouldn't overreact… Still, the words of Trouble Kelp haunted his memories. She was _his_ life-mate. He understood that Holly didn't see it that way but did that matter? How strongly enforced was this tradition in fairy society? He debated asking one of his other fairy friends. Foaly? But then, why bother? Even if the answer was positive, it wasn't like Holly was coming back. She had her fun, and Artemis had ruined it too soon. If Trouble was right, Artemis was supposed to die an old man, used up, and she would return to _him_. Dying _right now _didn't sound so bad…

Artemis was roused by a knock at his bedroom door. Of course, it was Butler, who checked in several times a day. He was happy to see that Artemis had at least dressed himself. Though these days, his shirts were as black as his suits. And he'd given up wearing neckties. This was unusual behavior, considering Artemis had well over 100 expensive silk ties in his wardrobe. Butler didn't know that initially, Artemis intended to wear one, but the first one he grabbed was black. Before he had even completed the knot, he recalled the last time that tie was worn… it was not by him. He quickly removed it and never bothered to find another.

Butler knew that something had gone terribly wrong between him and Holly, though Artemis wouldn't speak of it. He knew this much: Artemis blamed himself. Entirely. The pitiful sounds he heard at night told him as much. Butler wanted so badly to comfort him, but he knew Artemis wanted this solitude, at least for now.

Butler had brought Artemis something to eat, since he yet again refused to join the family for a meal. Butler informed him that Juliet had just arrived, and _insisted _that he come and greet her at his earliest convenience. Artemis deliberated, and resigned that he couldn't live in his room forever. And if he didn't go see Juliet, she would most certainly come to him, and probably at a less convenient time. Like when he was bawling his eyes out…

Artemis made his way down to the foyer, to where Juliet stood with her luggage. His entire family was there to greet her, even the twins. Artemis briefly acknowledged his parents before turning to the duty of welcoming Juliet home. He noticed there had to be at least twelve suitcases in tow with her. She had been overseas for a while, but Artemis still couldn't imagine why she'd have so much baggage.

Being a Butler, Juliet was on the taller side for woman. She stood higher than eye level with Artemis, and any childish features she had as an 18 year-old had sharpened beautifully, now fitting the 23 year-old woman she had become. Juliet had not been able to make it home for the holidays four months ago, so it had been well over a year since the last time she saw Artemis.

She immediately ran to him pulling him into a tight hug. Which, with Juliet, meant a bone-crushing embrace. Artemis swore his lungs would collapse before she finally released him, held him at arms length by the shoulders and examined him. "Wow, Artemis. You've grown up!" she said. Artemis squirmed under her gaze.

"Did you like your birthday present?" she asked him, knowing full well he did not. She simply had to buy the jeans for him. She only wished she could have been there, to see his expression when he opened it.

"Thank you, Juliet. The gesture was most appreciated." Which was his polite way of saying _No, I hate jeans and you know it. Why did you waste your money?_

Juliet looked at Artemis more carefully. His eyes were puffy, and his cheeks looked sunken in. Her eyebrows knitted together with concern. "Artemis, you look like crap. What's wrong? Are you not sleeping?"

Artemis rolled his eyes dramatically. Why was it that no one could filter their comments regarding his appearance? Especially women. First his mother and now Juliet. The next thing would be Holly telling him he looks as bad as he feels. Of course, he'd even gladly accept that insult, since that would entail her at least talking to him.

"No, I have not been sleeping well these days." Artemis answered flatly.

Beckett materialized at Artemis's side. "His girlfriend dumped him!" he proudly explained to Juliet.

Without even looking, Artemis smacked the back of his head. "Don't talk about things that aren't your business!" he growled. Instantaneously Artemis himself got smacked in the same fashion by his mother. "Don't hit your brother." she scolded.

Juliet shot him an incredulous stare. "A girlfriend? No. Way. I guess you really _have_ grown up."

Artemis scowled, and changed the topic of conversation. "Juliet, let me help you with your things." he said flatly, reaching for the bag closest to him. He attempted the lift it, but the bag weighed more than he did. He heaved at the straps as it stayed stubbornly glued to the floor. "What's in here, Uranium?"

"Oh, that one is my textbooks. Here, I got it, Artemis. Thanks anyway." With that Juliet lifted the impossibly heavy bag along with another, as if they were mere bread baskets.

Artemis watched as she deftly skipped up the stairs with ease. He glanced at Butler.

"Definitely your sister."

* * *

Holly spent far too much time in her office these days. She sat at her desk, dazed. Her romantic relationship with Artemis had gone from extreme passion to utter decimation in less than a month. She scolded herself repeatedly for allowing herself to act on her emotions. She knew from the start, it would be only a short time before his life was over. And she knew he would never give up his old ways. He was a liar by nature. Why did she allow herself to fall in love with him? It was foolish. As if she was still a stupid, hormone driven child of 50.

Ever since _it_ happened, Holly hadn't answered her communicator. She just wasn't ready to talk to Artemis. After the tenth day, he stopped calling. She knew he'd probably apologize for lashing out at her, but even that wasn't very comforting. The fact remained that she had no future with Artemis. She began to think this was for the best. If she continued to pretend that something could become of them, it would only end more cruelly. Denying that reality meant she was just stringing him along, for her own sick enjoyment.

Trouble's attitude towards her seemed to have taken a complete 180, which was very confusing. He told her it was actually Artemis who convinced him he was being domineering, that he needed to treat her with the respect she deserved. Holly was glad at least some positive result came from the meltdown. Trouble would meet with her every morning, to go over her case load, making sure she wasn't getting overwhelmed. He took over her more tedious tasks and promised her a field assignment once a week. Even if there was no reason for her to go topside, he'd grant her a visa whenever she felt she needed it. But it was too much. Holly didn't like being spoon-fed. Root certainly never treated her this way. Quite the opposite, in fact. Trouble's style was very different from Root's, and he was _personally_ involved. It was a serious conflict of interest, having her boss in love with her. She even considered a transfer. But LEPrecon was where she always wanted to be. What was the point of being an officer if she wasn't going to be in Recon?

Trouble had repeatedly offered to authorize a mind wipe, for her _and_ Artemis. They could erase this disaster of a relationship and go back to being friends, without the awkwardness, without the pain of love lost to sour it. It was a tempting offer. But Holly didn't believe mind wipes were perfectly ethical. Obviously, in certain situations, they were wholly necessary for the protection of The People. But this was an entirely private matter. And once again, Trouble was abusing his authority over LEP resources.

With all that humming in the foreground… all she could think about was Artemis. She saw him pass her office door at work. She saw him in vans and shuttles on the busy streets. Every morning in the shower, she felt his arms wrapped around her. She dreaded going home. Every night she would stand frozen outside her lonely apartment door, wondering if he was on the other side, waiting for her. Even though she was still angry with him, the sight of her empty futon brought the illogical tears. She was angry with herself now, too. She had to let him go.

A knock on her office door snapped Holly back to reality. "Come in." she called out, hoarsely.

Trouble walked into her office, closing the door softly behind him. It had become a daily ritual to check in on her several times. Keeping himself in her presence constantly was all part of the plan. Being overly considerate was another part. Holly hadn't shunned the sudden favoritism of his favorite staff member, But she probably knew the reason for his change of heart. She wasn't stupid. In fact, Holly's intellect was one of her features he found so attractive.

Trouble settled into the chair opposite her desk. "Major, have you completed your review of the Wickham case? Cahartez is asking for it."

Cahartez was one of the few members on the Council that still thought of Holly as a professional, despite all the stains on her record. When he asked for something, she made it her first priority. He was also the Chairman. It was always a good idea to keep friends in high places, just in case.

"Yeah, it's done. I saved it on the network server, you can access it there." Holly wasn't dumb enough to save anything on her desk computer. Hard drives could crash, or more likely, be hacked. Trouble didn't reveal he had learned this the hard way, when a recent virus wiped his drive, erasing weeks of miserably hard work.

"Good, good. How's the rest of your workload?" he asked. Holly was getting a little tired of the pity act, from Trouble and everyone else. How could she entirely blame them, when she came into work each day, moping. She looked rightfully pitiful. She hadn't even bothered to wear make-up in days, let alone style her hair. Her eyes were always puffy from lack of sleep… and the crying. She was furious with herself. She was stronger than this. Why was she falling apart?

"Look, Trouble. I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but seriously- You can cut it out now. I'm fine. Really. If I couldn't give you 100% I'd have taken a leave of absence. I'm completely capable of completing my work. All of it."

_Look who's the liar now _she thought.

"I'm just trying to look out for you, Holly." he said, with all sincerity. Trouble hated to see her hurting, especially over a stupid mud boy. He desperately wanted her to accept the mind wipe. With memories missing, her mind would be forced to fill in the gaps. Trouble had full intention of helping it, to his benefit of course.

"Thanks. But I'm good, really." she said with waning conviction.

"Okay, Holly. Just let me know. My door is always open, for you." Trouble lingered awkwardly for a moment, then left her office as quietly as he'd entered.

Holly needed to pull herself together. She decided to suppress her sorrows by throwing herself fully into her job. She could take double-shifts. It wasn't like she wanted to go home anyway.

Trouble was disappointed with Holly's hesitation about the memory wipe. He needed to be more convincing. Of course, he would need Foaly to actually perform the act, since he was the only one who could operate the equipment needed. Holly and Foaly were friends, and he knew Foaly wouldn't be forced unless Holly really wanted it. He decided to pay the centaur a visit.

Trouble waved at Foaly through the two-way mirrored box that was the Ops Booth. Though Trouble couldn't see anything (aside from himself, waving ludicrously at his own reflection) he knew Foaly was in there. Sure enough, the hiss of the pneumatic doors sounded as Foaly allowed Trouble entrance.

"Trouble." Foaly greeted him, not so cordially. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" The last time Trouble came to see Foaly, it was to spy on a friend of his. He didn't appreciate being used in this personal vendetta against Artemis. Trouble needed to keep his personal problems out of the office. Holly managed to stay professional everyday, even though she was obviously depressed. And even he himself had the willpower to keep his focus at work, even though his wife Caballine was suing him for divorce. It was true most of the time he saw more of his Ops booth than he saw of his wife, yet he couldn't seem to change that for her.

"Well Foaly, I was wondering if you could tell me more regarding the mind wipe that we performed on Fowl 5 years ago. You put in your report that it was a finely tuned wipe, as opposed to the block wipe that any Recon jock can perform. Now I've performed enough block wipes myself to know how those work, but obviously you are the only soul that has mastered the finely tuned rendition." Stroking the centaur's ego was always a good way to get information. He could be just as conceited as Fowl.

Foaly's dour expression lightened at the flattery. "That's right. It doesn't damage the IQ like a block wipe. Plus, it ought to have a better chance of not being reversed. Though of course, that didn't stop Artemis from finding some way to restore his memories. 'Mind Wipe' is really a misnomer. It's more like 'Selective Memory Repression'".

"Right. But Fowl triggered total recall by leaving something behind, right? Documents you weren't aware of?" Trouble asked.

"Yeah, he's a slippery one. I wouldn't have thought to trust a convict dwarf with that information. It was a huge risk. I'm honestly surprised it even worked." Foaly mused.

"So, do you think if Fowl didn't _want_ to remember, it would have worked?"

"You kidding me? My technique is flawless. Besides, it wasn't the first time we wiped Artemis. We did do a block wipe on him when he was ten years old." Foaly pointed out.

Trouble had read that report as well… about how ten-year-old Artemis Fowl made it through a time tunnel only to be sent back completely wiped. Reviewing the case file had given Trouble a headache, trying to wrap his head around the fatalistic time paradox concept.

"Trouble, what are you at?" Foaly had a habit of addressing commanders by their first names. This was specifically to annoy them. It didn't phase Trouble, at least outwardly. He knew the centaur was only trying to get a rise out of him. It always worked on Julius.

"Well, I was reading a proposal that was heading to the Council for approval. It dealt with officers who suffer with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and whether a fine-tuned wipe could be considered part of the therapy. I was just curious about how it would work." Trouble lied, quite convincingly.

"Really? How did I miss that? That sounds like a very effective treatment." Foaly said, impressed.

Trouble was pleased he'd come up with something believable. It wasn't easy to trick the centaur. "Oh, it's classified of course, top secret. I'm sure I can trust that you won't mention this little conversation?"

"Oh No, of course not, Commander." Foaly addressed him respectfully, a small thanks for letting him in on this tasty tidbit. Foaly loved inside information. Unfortunately, he tended to gossip like a bored housewife.

"Great. Well, thanks." Trouble headed back to his office. It was time to implement the next stage in his plan.

From the storage hanger Trouble acquired one of the best Shimmer suits the force had. They were made of high-tech cam foil and had built-in wings that were lighter than air. The force only had five of these suits, since they cost a fortune to produce. The prototype had come out nearly five years ago, and Commander Root was wearing it the day he was murdered.

As a Commander, Trouble didn't need a visa to get through customs. His badge was enough to get him wherever, whenever. This was a perk that Trouble used often to his advantage. Once he was suited up, Trouble entered the coordinates for Fowl Manor in his wrist computer which connected to his helmet via infrared. Tara would be the nearest chute. He unsheathed the wing set as the computer plotted the most direct (yet discreet) flight path. Estimated time of arrival: twenty-two minutes.

* * *

The next morning rolled around, and yet again, Artemis refused to join his family for breakfast. Juliet had spoken with them by now regarding how hard he was taking his break-up. Regretfully, she decided to make it her personal mission to get him out of this funk. The first step would be to parole him from his self-enforced prison sentence. He needed sun and air. After breakfast was done and the Butlers finished cleaning up the kitchen, Juliet headed towards Artemis's bedroom.

Artemis was _just_ about to fall asleep, after a rough night's tossing and turning. He was irritated by the forceful knock on his door.

"Artemis! You've got five seconds to make yourself decent before I forcefully remove you from your room!" Juliet shouted through the door.

Artemis's eyes shot open as he came to full consciousness instantly. Juliet didn't make threats that she didn't intend on carrying through with.

"FIVE…"

Artemis scrambled for his clothes, only wearing boxers. He was pretty sure he left his suit from yesterday on the floor at his bedside. He didn't care enough these days to hang it up properly.

"FOUR…"

As he felt around the floor for his pants, he tried the blink the sleep from his eyes. He couldn't see where his clothes were. He groped under the bed, relieved to suddenly discover any item of clothing.

"THREE…"

Grabbing it quickly, he stepped into what he was pretty certain were pants. It was only until he felt the tight fabric clinging to his legs did he realize what he just put on. Artemis had forgotten he had hid them under his bed in hopes that Holly would never make him wear them again.

"TWO…"

She was turning the knob now. _Bloody hell and red death!_ he thought. He wouldn't have time to change out of them unless he wanted to do so in her presence.

"ONE!"

Juliet burst through the door, just in time for an eyeful of Artemis zipping his fly.

Juliet's eyes widened at the sight before her. She'd never seen Artemis shirtless, let alone in _jeans_. The designer jeans! She was thrilled to see him wearing her gift, but even more surprised that he was... kinda hot. Really… hot.

"DAMNIT JULIET! At least let me get dressed!" he screamed at her, as he hopped one legged into socks.

Juliet rounded on him and grabbed his wrist. "Nope. No time. It's outside time now, Emo Kid." she said as she forcefully dragged him from his room, clothed only from the waist down. Artemis wasn't going to pretend he knew what _Emo_ meant and correctly assumed that she had insulted him in some way.

"I'm not going anywhere without a shirt!" he tried to relinquish her grasp on him to no avail, her fist was an iron shackle. She continued pulling him along the corridor until they reached her room.

Juliet's room was only four doors down from his own. She thrust him inside before going to rummage through one of the legion of suitcases she had yet to unpack. "Here." she said as she chucked something at him. Artemis caught was he discovered to be a black t-shirt. Artemis shot a scowl at her which she effectively countered with an impressive glare. Artemis backed off. If it were Holly, he might at least have the advantage of being nearly twice her size. Juliet was taller and could easily bench press 275 lbs. It was a losing battle from the start. Artemis shrugged into the slim fitting shirt, figuring it was better than being topless.

"Mmm, very nice." Juliet said approvingly. Artemis was practically pouting. He wasn't any one's dress up doll. _Women are so mean..._

"Juliet. What do you want." he said curtly. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until I've showered and gotten dressed."

"First of all, you are dressed. Secondly, don't worry about showering. You still stink of Aqua De Gio and your hair looks pretty good messed up." she ruffled his hair more to drive home her point. Artemis growled at her like a stray dog.

"What. Do. You. Want." he spat through gritted teeth.

"We're going out." she proclaimed.

"Out? Out where?" he asked her suspiciously.

"Out_side_." she said, as if talking to a particularly slow child. With that she renewed her steel grip on his wrist, yanking him all the way downstairs to the front foyer. They passed Butler on the way, who smirked at the sight of Artemis in casual clothing, flung about like a ragdoll. Artemis shot him a glance that clearly said _Help!_ Butler couldn't help but laugh, and shook his head.

Juliet deposited him on the front landing. Pointing to the coat closet she commanded "Shoes. On. We're going now."

Artemis found some shoes and reached for a coat.

"You don't need a jacket! It's frickin' May! How long have you been holed up in there for?" she shouted at him.

Artemis sighed. He had been 'holed up in there' for nearly three weeks. A jacket would have been necessary for a morning jaunt then. Artemis resigned to the fact he was Juliet's captive for the time being, and he might as well behave before he is physically injured. "Fine. Let's go."

"Great." Juliet's eyes lit up even more, if that was possible. She linked arms with him, tugging him out the door a little less roughly, and along down the main avenue of the manor. "The cherry blossoms are just starting to fall. It's really pretty. You know, you start to miss these things when you live in the city for a while." Juliet had been living in New York for the past four years, completing a double major in Criminology and Information Technology at NYU, and moonlighting as a pro wrestler…

As they reached the cherry trees, Artemis was mesmerized by the blossom petals, gently descending like perfect snow flakes. The wind caught, sending a cloud of petals swirling about them. It really _was_ beautiful. But all he could think… was how he wished Holly could've seen it with him.

Juliet caught his forlorn expression. She nudged him gently in the side with the arm that was still intertwined with his, bringing him back to reality. "You know, vitamin D is essential for a positive state of mind. You need more sun, Count Pastey." she smiled at him.

Artemis managed a small smile back. "I'm surprised you knew that, Juliet." he replied.

"What, you think I'm just a dumb blonde?" she asked, with mock-offense.

_Yes,_ he thought. But he said nothing in response.

* * *

Commander Trouble Kelp flew over Fowl Manor, typing the commands for infrared filters on his visor. Several hot spots. He could easily pick out Butler, since his heat signature was enormous. Then, two others close together that were small enough to be fairies. Two people upstairs, and the last two outside in the front avenue. He had to be in one of those two places. Might as well check outside first.

Kelp hovered over the roof of the estate, spotting the infidel and…! He magnified the image on his visor. It was definitely Fowl, with some female… he recognized her from a case file he'd reviewed as a Major. The Butler girl. She'd had fairy contact before, it was safe to proceed. Trouble assessed the scene as he descended. This girl was arm-in-arm with him! _Dear, Sweet Frond. Could it get any better?_ Trouble made doubly sure all his recording devices were functioning, which of course, they were. You can't do Recon work without proper surveillance equipment.

Trouble landed directly behind the two humans without a sound, completely invisible. It was thrill amongst most LEP, but especially Recon jocks, to scare the crap out of people by appearing out of thin air. Trouble was no exception.

"Hey, Mud Boy." Trouble called out in a nonchalant tone. Both Artemis and Juliet jumped at the strange voice coming from behind them. Trouble couldn't help but chuckle.

Artemis spun to see Trouble Kelp shimmer into view. He was understandably surprised to see him. Juliet, however, was beyond shock. Both of them forgot that she had all her fairy memories wiped and never restored. To her, she just saw a small man in some kind of SWAT uniform appear out of thin air. Juliet instinctually placed herself in front of Artemis in a protective stance. Artemis gently pushed her aside.

"It's okay. He's not here to hurt me." Artemis reassured Juliet. "Right, Commander?"

Trouble cracked a half-grin. He would sure like to. But no, that wasn't part of the plan. Stick to the plan. "Of course not. Just a messenger today."

"You… know him?" Juliet asked, shocked. Artemis nodded dismissively and moved towards the commander, addressing him in Gnommish.

"_What message do you have? I would prefer you do not answer me in English as Juliet has no fairy memories."_

"_No problem. Speaking Mud Man gives me a headache anyway. I'm delivering a message from Holly. She refuses to speak with you directly so I offered to inform you myself." _A sardonic grin crept across his face.

Artemis blanched. Holly's refusal to talk to him was so strong she'd send Kelp to give him a message? She must really hate him.

_"Holly is heartbroken. You ruined her. She hasn't even been completely functional these past few weeks." _Trouble informed him. Artemis hated to hear that Holly was just as depressed as he was, yet he took some comfort in the thought of her emotions being so strong. He must have meant something to her if she couldn't move on.

_"She's requested that Foaly perform a very precise mind wipe on her. She will have no recollection of any romantic involvement with you, but will still know who you are. You two can go back to being friends, without any painful memories." _Trouble explained, almost sounding sympathetic.

Artemis's heart sank at the news. She wanted to forget? He had hurt her so badly that she wished their whole relationship had never been… It really was too late. His sin was unforgivable.

Trouble was entertained by Artemis reaction to his 'news', even if it was all false. Holly wouldn't agree to a wipe until Artemis did. But it was all part of the plan. A genius one at that. In fact, if Artemis wasn't the intended victim, he might actually have appreciated how clever it was.

_"She wants to keep you as her friend, Fowl. To keep you in her life. Therefore, she requests that you and your family agree to the same precise mind wipe. Again, only the memories of you two being romantically involved would be blocked. Of course, I could do a whole block wipe on you, but you'd have to recreate over a month's worth of memories. She also didn't want to risk a dip in your IQ. So I talked with Foaly and he says as long as you don't leave yourself little breadcrumbs to find your old memories, you can continue with your friendship normally."_

_"But what if total recall is triggered naturally, just by being around one another?" _Artemis inquired.

_"It won't happen, Mud Boy. Holly and I are back together now. She won't have any desire to seek out love elsewhere."_

Artemis fought back tears as Trouble declared he had reestablished his position as Holly's 'life-mate'. That was it. He had lost her for good. There was no hope left. The offer was suddenly irresistible, the pain being so intense.

_"If she wants a mind-wipe, then let her know I am willing. You may proceed whenever is most convenient."_ Artemis said somberly.

Trouble was doing mental cartwheels. _"Excellent. She will be pleased to hear it. I know it's hard, Artemis, but you are doing the right thing. This way, you'll both be happy."_ He lied with his phony sincerity. _"We'll have a team up here after night fall. Have your family prepped."_ he added. Artemis simply nodded in response, not able to form words. His voice would betray his grief.

Trouble turned his attention back towards Juliet who was noticeably miffed by this encounter. She hated being kept out of the loop. He addressed Artemis. _"She has no fairy memories?"_ he asked.

Artemis shook his head. _"None other than this."_ he answered.

_"Let's rectify that, shall we?"_ With that, he pulled the equipment from his belt. A five minute block wipe was child's play.

* * *

Juliet woke suddenly outside under the cherry trees. Artemis loomed over her with a concerned and terribly sad expression. She sat upright, trying to remember having felt faint, or anything at all after coming outside. She must have passed out. Maybe sunshine and air wasn't so healthy after all. Yet, for some reason, she felt strangely rejuvenated.

"Did I pass out?" she questioned Artemis.

"Yes. It must be jet lag. Or perhaps your blood sugar is low. Would you like to get you something to eat?" he calmly explained, hoping she wouldn't delve any deeper.

"No, I feel fine." She eyed him with mock suspicion. "You sure I wasn't drugged so you could have your evil way with me?" She was teasing… mostly.

Artemis's perfect features twisted with anger at this distasteful joke. "Why must everyone have their stab at me? And that was in poor taste, Juliet! Do you honestly take me to be the type of scoundrel who would attempt such a thing?"

Juliet stood up beside him, unable to hide her grin. She punched him playfully in the arm. "Of course not, I was just teasing."

Artemis gasped at the granite blow, grabbing the spot she pummeled. _That's going to leave a mark...Wicked woman..._

They made their way back into the house, and Artemis headed straight upstairs. Juliet tried to protest, but stopped short when she saw he wasn't headed towards his room. Artemis knew he'd only be safe from her in his study, since he'd installed all the security protocols. He'd lock himself in there until she went to bed.

Artemis sat at his computer... going through his diary. If Holly really wanted him to forget, than that's what he'd do for her. He found any reference to his feelings, plans or encounters with Holly over the past month and began deleting. There would be huge holes in his diary... some entries missing entirely. His post-wiped mind would be curious about this so Artemis decided to try and come up with something he should have been doing over these past weeks. He entered rather random and boring events, like walking the grounds with the boys and going over their music lessons. Artemis suddenly mused that without these memories, he'd figure he was still a virgin. He laughed in spite of himself. _It's not everyone who gets to have a first-time, twice._ he thought, then added, _if I ever have sex again…_

* * *

Trouble returned from his mission, more than pleased with his results. He uploaded the images from his helmet, made a few cuts here and there, corrupted most of the audio (he'd blame that on some malfunction) and voila! After seeing this, Holly's decision would be made.

Trouble strolled into Holly's office. She actually looked a bit more focused than usual, but still run-down, like she hadn't been sleeping. According to her log entries, she'd been at work for the past 13 hours. No wonder she was tired. "Major Short." he called to her.

Holly looked up, startled. She didn't even hear him come in. "Yes?"

Trouble looked at her, pouring over the piles of work on her desk. _One of these days, I'm going to fuck you on top of that desk, Holly. Maybe tomorrow._ Trouble had to turn away from her to hide his smirk from her vision. "Please come into my office." he said in a concerned tone.

Holly stood, and followed him over. Trouble shut the door before leaning on the front of his desk.

"Major, I need to show you something. I was contacted by Fowl this morning, and he said you weren't returning his calls. He requested I forward this message for you."

Pulling up the video that he had only moments ago mashed together, the plasma screen lit up. It was an image of Artemis, in jeans and a t-shirt, walking arm-in-arm with… Juliet. Holly made an audible gasp.

"She's pretty I suppose, for a Mud Girl." Trouble said in a very blasé manner. "So this is where I scared the pants off them," he smiled proudly. "and we decided to talk in Gnommish since the girl didn't know anything. I block wiped her before I left. I'll forward to the part where he talks about you." He pressed play. The audio that came was Artemis speaking Gnommish. _"If she wants a mind-wipe, then let her know I am willing. You may proceed whenever is most convenient."_

Holly sank to the floor. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no doubt that he really said that. He was willing to let her go, like it never happened. She supposed that would make things between him and Juliet easier. Holly couldn't hold back her tears as they ran down her cheeks. Trouble felt the slightest pang of guilt when he saw this, but it was quickly extinguished by reassuring himself that this was for the best in the long run... for everyone.

"When?" Holly spoke quietly with a tremor in her voice. "When will you do it?"

"First thing, at nightfall. I'm assuming that as long as he's getting it done, you would want your mind cleansed immediately after." Trouble couldn't hide the fact that he thought of her relationship with Artemis as something _dirty_. "If you can be here when we return, we'll take care of you as well."

Holly nodded loosely and rose to her feet, trying to collect herself to some measure. "Excuse me, Commander. I've had a very long day."

"Of course. I'll contact Fowl and let him know." Trouble reluctantly let Holly leave. She might try to contact Fowl between now and tonight, but she seemed too torn up. She was probably just going home to go soak her pillow.

Holly reached her apartment, quickly opening the door and slamming it shut. She went through anything that might trigger recall after her wipe. If she was going to be able to keep Artemis in her life, things couldn't come back to her. She knew immediately there was something that she couldn't keep... the necklace. She pulled it from the drawer and examined the pendant again. Holly still wondered about that acorn. Though she knew he'd never tell her, since he loved his precious secrets too much. It couldn't be thrown away. It was gold... _Fairy Gold._ No doubt it's raw material was very valuable. She'd give it to some random fairy, on her way back to the plaza that evening. They could melt it down and probably live off the trade value for a month. _Yes, that would be best..._

* * *

That evening, Foaly organized his team as they loaded the equipment into the shuttle. He was still stunned that the Commander had authorized this. But, it was what both Holly and Artemis wanted. It must have been a tough decision. But their romantic relationship had been short-lived. Foaly couldn't even imagine erasing the years he spent with Caballine, even if she didn't want him anymore. Though, he wanted to hold on to hope. Maybe he could make things right, and win her back. Maybe it was too late.

Trouble Kelp piloted the shuttle himself. He was beyond elation, seeing his plans come to fruition. He broke a few speed ordinances as he passed through the chutes and directly up E1 towards Tara. A first class LEP shuttle needed no clearance from customs. He was out of the port before the guard station could even register that it was LEP blowing past him.

Arriving at Fowl Manor that night, Trouble was pleased to see through the infrared scanner both Fowl and Butler standing on the front landing. Trouble landed the shuttle in the darkness, and skipped out the hatch. He left Foaly to supervise the unloading of the equipment.

"Is everyone ready?" He asked Artemis.

Artemis nodded. A very sympathetic Butler had released a mild sedative into the ventilation ducts, a feature of the manor's advanced anti-invasion system. It was a little too easy. "They're all unconscious, you can take care of them after us." His family would wake the next day, none the wiser.

They entered the manor, followed by hoards of equipment and the team that would operate it. The arrangement was set up in the expansive dining hall. Foaly began attaching the nodes to Artemis, seated in one of the stately chairs.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Foaly asked under his breath.

Artemis tried to sound collected. "I want… whatever she wants. I just want her to be… happy. Foaly, just promise me, nothing but the last month's worth, all right? I can't live without her on some level. She doesn't need to be my lover, but I do need her as my friend."

Foaly sighed, defeated. He didn't like what he was doing, but if it was for his friends, and an order from a Commander, what could he do? He checked the nodes again and slipped the mask over his eyes. In seconds, the sedatives in the seals had him knocked out cold.

* * *

Just moments earlier, in the Lower Elements, Holly walked into Police Plaza. She was completely drained emotionally. She held in her hand the Fowl pendant, pushing against her will to rid herself of it. She had determined the first friendly face in the plaza would receive the gold. There were no friendly faces. The whole world seemed to absorb the darkness she emitted, and people were avoiding her entirely.

"Major Short. How are you this evening?" Holly snapped to and saw No.1 leaving the hospital wing, coming towards her.

_Of course, _she thought, _he deserves something for all the hell Artemis has put him through_. "Here." she said roughly. Holding out her fist. No.1 opened his palm automatically, and Holly dropped the necklace into his hand. No.1 examined it, that is, after the momentary daze of seeing gold had worn off. A necklace? The pendant was a coat of arms of some kind. Fairy families didn't generally keep a coat of arms, at least, not as diligently as Western European humans did. This had to be from Artemis. No.1 looked up at her, confused.

"It's yours. Do with it whatever you'd like. It will mean nothing to me in a few hours." she said, dryly.

No.1 was stunned. "What happened, Holly? He loves you so much. What on earth provoked this?" he cried.

"You of all people should know!" she said, raising her voice. "He came to you without telling me! Then deceived you into some plot to ruin Trouble's career!"

No.1 was thoroughly baffled now. "What are you talking about? What plot against Kelp?"

"You told me yourself! Weeks ago!" she shouted.

No.1 had to think back to recall his exact words. He didn't know Artemis had kept her in the dark, but now it made some sense. He needed to correct Holly's assumption.

"Holly, I never mentioned your commander. Artemis had no intention of harming him."

Holly's violent expression fell suddenly. "What?" her volume plummeted from fierce to barely audible. "Then why did he see you?"

"He never told you?"

Holly shook her head... still stunned.

"He came… asking if you two could be partnered." he explained gently.

_No… _

"Holly, it's entirely possible. He understood the implications, but he seemed discouraged by the selfishness of the arrangement. I assured him you'd take the risk, that it was worth proposing, at least."

_Oh no, no, no…_

Holly fell to her knees. She had jumped to the worst possible conclusion, doubted the man she loved, and accused him of plotting against her ex in some sort of jealous rage. He had wanted to partner with her... but gave up because he was selfless and loved her enough to let her go. Holly was mortified. What had she done? Her stubborn nature had cost her dearly. She was going to lose the love of her life…!

Holly suddenly stood up. Trouble had just left for the surface to wipe Artemis. Could she make it in time? She snatched the necklace back from No.1's hand, and bolted towards the Recon wing.

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, "I need that back!" No.1 only waved, a generous grin filling his face.

Holly ran into the lockup at full speed. She yanked on the last available specialty Shimmer suit and took off flying. She saw the time and pushed harder. There _was_ no time, they would be there now. Holly estimated that she'd arrive there 30 minutes after the shuttle. Foaly would still need to set up the equipment and attach the nodes on six people. She just might make it in time. She cursed Trouble's kindness, her stubborn refusal to even talk to Artemis, the last few weeks of stupid self-denial and pity. She was going to lose everything she loved, everything she ever wanted, and it was her own fault.

She soared towards the nearest surface chute, opening the throttle to a dangerous degree, when the ops officer on duty leapt onto her helmet screen.

"Where are you going Major? You don't have clearance!" He yelled, aghast.

"I'm making my own damn clearance, so fuck off!" She screamed right back, slipping through the closing blast doors.

"You're insane!" He bellowed at her, "We've got seismic activity- you'll never make it to the surface!"

"Then I'll see you in HELL!" She shot back before shutting off her communications.

She aimed straight for the surface, and kicked the suit's flight system into emergency power mode, reserved for just such an occasion. The G forces pushed her close to blacking out. As she hurtled up the shaft she held her arms close, trying to suck in every inch to reduce drag. The walls blurred by, and Holly heard the deep rumble of bedrock groaning against itself. In the red glow of the flare building below, she could only think of Artemis. The rough start to their relationship, all the harrowing adventures they'd been through together, the first time she kissed him…

She only prayed she might make it in time…

* * *

Trouble looked approvingly on the defenseless form of Artemis, waiting impatiently for the wipe. Foaly was setting up the system for the operation. Butler looked on, glumly. He knew this was for the best, that if things didn't change soon he'd have to protect his charge from _himself_.

"Ready to go, Trouble." Foaly said.

"What are you waiting for?" he replied, "Initiate!"

Everything was suddenly covered in a shower of glass. The huge vaulted window nearby had exploded, raining down in a thousand shards. The devices on Artemis's head flew off, and his limp body convulsed as if possessed. Everyone in the room recoiled from the haunting, and even Trouble let out a thin scream.

Holly shimmered into visibility. She straddled Artemis's lap, shaking him violently to wake him. Her suit was literally smoking, and singed in places.

"Artemis! Artemis! Wake up damnit!" she screamed hysterically. She whipped off her helmet and saw Foaly, who was dumbfounded to see Holly appear out of no where. "How much did you take?" she hissed at him. She turned to Trouble and repeated her demand. "How much! HOW MUCH!" She screamed.

Artemis stirred, his eyes lolling from the back of his head. He looked at this curious looking young creature, who's face was covered in tears, soaking his shirt. "Artemis!" she screamed again, trying to provoke a response. She wasn't expecting the one she got.

"Who's Artemis?"

* * *

**So, I hope I have you biting your nails right now. Again, this is a complete story and will have the next chapter up as soon as this chapter hits 10 reviews. Thank you all for reviewing! I'd really like to see it hit somewhere between 250-300 reviews before the final chapter (chapter 25) goes up.**


	12. And Back Again

**A/N: You guys are fucking awesome! Yay! Here you go! Stop biting your nails and ripping out your hair! Please remove all hexes on me now. **

**Just a side note, the Council, in my opinion, is sort of like the Supreme Court. So, get into that mental image when reading this chappy.**

**I love how I get "You suck! How dare you!" while simultaneously receiving 'favorite story', and 'favorite author' by the same person. I'm really excited to see you new readers getting so emotionally invested in this story. **

**Without further ado... Chapter 12!**

* * *

"Who's Artemis?"

"Wha…?" Holly barely whispered. She looked over at Foaly who was equally stunned. Holly returned to shaking Artemis by the shoulders. "Oh no, no, Arty! Please! Tell me you remember!" she shrieked.

Trouble crooked an eyebrow. This wasn't part of the plan, but definitely not unwelcome. He would prefer to have Artemis out of her life completely, and The People's.

Tears continued to stream down Holly's cheeks. "Arty, please!" she pleaded. She searched his confused eyes, running her hands down his face again and again. "Please… Arty, remember me!" She grabbed his hair and slammed her mouth to his, in an unusually passionate kiss. It was a desperate attempt to bring back the man she loved. Was she too late? Was he really gone? She didn't know. She didn't care. She just didn't want to be alive in a world without him, even if he never remembered…

She felt Artemis's lips twitch into a smile against her own. She gasped, leaning back to look at his face. He was beaming. She looked at him blurry with tears, but hopeful. "Arty?"

"How could I ever forget you?" he said calmly, though unable to hide his vampire smirk.

Holly threw herself around his neck. "Oh, thank Frond!" she said, her nerves collapsing with the relief. The tears kept coming, not out of grief, but pure joy. The toasting she got on the way up the chute was worth it.

Trouble, of course, was watching the whole thing unfold. His features became twisted with rage. His entire ingenious plot was unraveling before his eyes. _Fuck, Holly! Why couldn't you just stay put? _He glared at Foaly with malice. "One kiss and he remembers everything?"

Foaly wasn't exactly sure what the commander was talking about. "Trouble, I didn't even start yet. I haven't touched his memories."

"Pack it up!" Trouble yelled. He knew he was defeated. He stormed into the hall, leaving Foaly's team to clean up. He was unable to stomach this turn of events.

Butler gazed on the touching scene, with joyful tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He quickly regained himself though, and willed the tears to reverse flow, back into his ducts. It was one of his many skills.

Holly pushed away from Artemis, who couldn't contain his laughter. She sneered at him and punched him hard in the arm, right where Juliet had bruised him the day before.

He gaped, breathless for a moment, grasping at his wound. "Christ, Holly. I was struck there already!"

"You probably deserved that too! I can't believe you! How could you even joke about this?" she shouted. She was exasperated, but stayed in his lap.

Artemis's wicked smile diminished, and he answered her in a very serious tone. "Three reasons Holly. Firstly: It was too tempting to resist. Secondly: Admit it, it was hilarious. Thirdly: I had to determine your intention for stopping my wipe. Were you not informed that it was to be a tuned-wiped, and that I would still remember you?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Of course, but I don't want… this!" she hushed her tone for some semblance of privacy in the crowd of people present. "Arty, I love you. I didn't know why you went to No.1. I thought you were going to have him turn Trouble into a swear toad or something! Why didn't you just tell me?"

A half-grin crept across Artemis's face at the mention of hexing Trouble. _Swear Toad_. That _did_ sound tempting. Especially now, when he had manipulated them all to his advantage. "I didn't tell you, Holly, because it's too much to ask of you. Your lifespan would be curtailed; I couldn't do that to you. Since it isn't a feasible option, I felt it unnecessary to entertain the thought. And I didn't want you to be just as disappointed as I was. Holly?"

"Yes?" She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"I'm so sorry, for what I said to you. I assure you with all my heart, I never meant it. And I should have been honest with you." Artemis apologized with all sincerity.

"No, Arty, _I_ should have told _you_ about my past. I didn't know how to bring it up. Our relationship 'evolved' before we could talk about these sorts of things, and then... what was I supposed to tell you after we had already...you know. I figured that you would have wanted someone… untouched." she spoke to him in hushed tones, bowing her head in shame.

He put his forehead against hers. "Holly, that never mattered to me. I just wish I heard it from you first." It was then that Artemis remembered the other aspects of what Trouble had told him. He was back together with Holly. He was her legally bound life-mate. The pain of that realization stung Artemis anew as he looked at the girl he loved sitting on his lap, staring earnestly into his eyes. "Holly. We can still have the wipe." he explained.

Shock and hurt painted Holly's features. "Why?" She looked down again, unable to look him in the eye. "You don't want me, do you?" she whispered.

"That is _hardly_ the case, Holly! I can't ask you to be my partner. I'd take you away from everything you know, and love. I'd ruin your life. Besides, Trouble loves you and he can give you those things- and children, if you wanted. Aren't you together again now, anyway?"

Holly tried to keep herself collected as she processed everything he said. He could almost see the fire building behind her eyes. "First," she started through gritted teeth, "We are _not_ back together. Trouble does _not_ love me. I will _never_ love him. If he loved me, he would have been willing to let me go. Trouble and I are not 'tied' or 'mates' or anything like that. Elves have not observed that law in over two millennia! Besides," she said with quiet confidence, "Trouble has had other partners since me, so even if we were observing the old laws, he broke the contract first."

Artemis was surprised to hear this. He looked towards the door Trouble had just rushed through. Did she have proof? Was Trouble that dastardly? Artemis narrowed his eyes at the thought while his grasp around Holly's waist unconsciously tightened.

Holly took his chin, directing Artemis's attention back towards her. "Second, Arty... I've never really been the 'mother' type. I mean, I figured if they were to happen at some point, that would be fine but I'm not the type to pine away for children. That is another contention between Trouble and I. He wants a _tribe_. He's not getting that from me. And lastly, you would not be taking me away from everything I love. I'd be with you."

Artemis relief was audible, he sighed as the realization came, his fears quelled. Still, he didn't see how they could partner when his natural death would bring hers prematurely. "Holly, I still won't live long enough for you. It's not fair. Don't you think if we went back to being only friends, my inevitable departure… would be easier? You were the one to request this wipe in the first place."

"What? No I didn't! Trouble said you..." It hit her like a ton of bricks. She had been duped. She shuddered with anger. Trouble. would. be. dealt. with. later.

"Arty! I loved you before we became... intimate. And I will never let any of my memories of you be removed, and I won't let you take yours either! They've made us who we are right now. And I don't want anything to change. Arty," she paused, dropping the volume of her voice significantly, "even if it's a short one, I still choose a life with you."

Artemis was touched. His heart swelled. She had chosen him, the way he wanted her to- even if it meant her life would end in less than a century. Since his visit with the warlock Artemis knew better, but had kept it to himself just in case it came to this. He placed his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her. The kiss started to become a little too passionate as the two had become completely oblivious to the uncomfortable audience they had.

"Ahem." Foaly pretended to clear his throat. This snapped them back to the present reality. The technicians that had been attending to Artemis previously had turned to completely gawk at the drama that was unfolding. Foaly was seriously irritated that he had been conned into participating in this. Holly and Artemis had both been deceived and manipulated. Foaly knew he'd been given false information, to act on the commander's personal agenda. An agenda that hurt his friends. Worse yet, there were witnesses... with the techies there, to all of this. It was no secret that Trouble wanted to possess Holly. And now, they knew that Trouble had destroyed his rights to Holly, even by the old laws' standards.

Foaly wrapped up the packing of the equipment. "All right boys, pack it in. We're going home." he commanded his staff. The techies began trundling the wiping equipment out of the manor and back towards the shuttle. Turning towards Butler, he said "It would seem we were never needed here to begin with." He turned back towards Artemis and Holly.

"Artemis... sorry about this. I think Kelp fooled us all." He reached into a case containing various devices and pulled out a Sonic Injector, a medical tool that used ultrasonic waves to open the pores of the patient, to deliver medication without the use of needles. Foaly trotted over to Artemis and gave him a shot in the neck. "There, that will help get rid of the sedative, without you having to sleep it off."

Artemis winced, rubbing his neck at the injection site. It didn't hurt... it just tingled unnaturally. Holly tenderly kissed the spot on his neck and he felt a very different type of tingling in his body. As the serum worked its way through his blood stream, any trace of the sedative effects were nullified. He felt strangely rejuvenated. Holly slid off his lap and Artemis stood up, stretching. He froze.

"Um, Holly?" He asked.

"What?" She replied, worried.

"Where did all this glass come from? Good Lord! What happened to the window!"

"I'll tell you later." She said, chuckling in relief. She'd have to apologize to Angeline in person for that…

They headed after the team, towards the foyer. They could see the shuttle in the dim moonlight outside. When they reached the main doorway, they halted.

Trouble was blocking their path, his arms crossed. His expression was openly furious. He had to regain control over the situation. No mind wipe. Fine. He'd have to go another route. "We're leaving." He said stiffly, "But not without Major Short. In case you've forgotten, Holly, you have no clearance to be on the surface. And right now you're supposed to be on duty! You _will_ return with us, and that _is_ an order!"

"_I_ don't have clearance? _I'm_ on duty? So are you and everyone else here! You're the one who's abusing your authority, wasting LEP resources for personal gain! You know what? Sure... I'll come back with you, Trouble. I think I need to have some words with Council Chairman Cahartez." Holly threatened.

Artemis placed his hands protectively on her shoulders, and stood behind her. "She doesn't go without me." he stated. Holly looked up at Artemis, surprised. For once though, she didn't argue.

"You have no place in Haven, Mud Boy! This is Fairy business." Trouble growled back at him.

"Holly's business is my business. As I understand it, you cannot forcefully remove her from her home without an arrest warrant, and unless you have one, or are willing to take us both, then we will have to ask you to leave _our_ house."

Trouble didn't miss Artemis's choice of words. "You're presumptuous, kid. Holly's home is in Haven. What makes you think the Council will approve her living on the surface?"

"Perhaps we should go ask them?" Holly replied, a bit smug.

"Fine. Let's take a ride. I want to see your faces myself when the Council not only agrees with me, but also grants me authorization to proceed with the wipe- _with_ or with_out_ your consent." Trouble replied in a patronizing tone.

"I'm going too." rumbled Butler, looming over Artemis.

Trouble threw his arms in the air. "What is this? A fucking Mud Man tour bus?" he roared in exasperation.

Butler threw him a menacing glare. In a dangerously low voice he addressed Trouble, from on high. "You got a problem with that, little fairy man?"

Trouble only had a buzz baton on him and knew he couldn't take on the mountainous Mud-Giant. Relenting, he turned towards the shuttle. "Let's go." he muttered.

* * *

The descent to Haven was a quiet one. Artemis sat with Holly at his side, his arm around her. Butler sat across from them, constantly monitoring their surroundings. Going into unfamiliar territory with possible hostiles had him on high alert. A few whispers were passed between the now enlightened techies, to which Holly shot death glares. The cabin was rapidly silenced.

Foaly was the only one comfortable talking about 'them.' He'd had a little more time to digest the idea than the curious techies. Not to mention, he was friends with these two. Even the Mud Boy, who he couldn't keep out of his computer systems. For goodness sake, he had witnessed their first- probably best not to mention that…

"Holly, I think everything will be fine. There are a lot of officers stationed on the surface. Cahartez likes you, and so does Lope, and Vinyaya. Besides, you didn't do anything illegal, _right?_" he narrowed his eyes at Artemis when he said the last word.

"No, neither of us has committed any crime! In fact, it's Trouble who's in shit here." said Holly.

"Agreed. You have me to vouch too, if that helps. _Anything_ I can do, let me know." Foaly replied.

Trouble was in the cockpit and didn't want to hear this conversation. His mind was far away from the present. He hoped that since there wasn't anyone on the Council younger than 600, they'd be more sympathetic to the old ways. With the exception of Artemis Fowl, The People would never allow the knowledge of their existence to stay with a Mud-Man. They certainly wouldn't like the idea of a fairy _living with_ one, _even_ Artemis Fowl. The risk of exposure was too great.

The shuttle entered the main gate for E1, but flew directly to LEP headquarters. There was no need to terrify the population by letting two Mud-Men stroll into a crowded port. Once the shuttle was docked, Foaly roused his team, unloading the sensitive equipment.

Unfortunately, Trouble had the responsibility of alerting the Council, boiling the situation down according to his view. That situation being: he had an insubordinate officer, two Mud People overly involved with The People, and a technical advisor who refused to wipe any of them. He was forced to bring the entire party before the Council for an emergency meeting at this ungodly hour. Oh yeah, and said Mud-Men in question were Butler and Artemis Fowl. Needless to say, the Council was wide awake and awaited their arrival.

They piled out of the shuttle and were rushed into the inner courthouse. Holly stayed protectively in front of Artemis while Butler hovered behind him. Trouble and Holly exchanged threatening glares all the way, as they all headed to meet the Council. Foaly left his team to their grunt work and galloped to catch up.

"Centaur, you are not needed!" Trouble called to him. It was very rude to address anyone that wasn't a good friend by their species. Trouble was no longer in Foaly's good graces so he took even greater offense to this.

"I'll go where I please, ELF. Besides, I suspect I'll be called on to either testify or present evidence." Foaly was right. He usually was.

Trouble grumbled as he thrust open the doors to the court room. The Council sat on a raised platform behind a long, ornate oak desk. The motley crew filed in before them, finding seats in the gallery. All but Butler that is, who chose to stand. He wouldn't fit in one of the diminutive chairs anyway.

They dispensed with many of the formalities due to a normally scheduled meeting. Without much ado, Chairman Cahartez addressed Trouble first. "Commander Kelp, please brief us as to the entire situation here. Why am I not asleep? And why are there Mud Men in our courtroom?"

Holly's eyes caught those of Wing Commander Vinyaya, who seemed honestly concerned over Holly. _This girl's career isn't going to survive another blow_ she thought, quite correctly.

Trouble spoke up. "Your Honors, I am saddened to inform you that one of our best officers has been engaging in an… _unethical_ relationship with this Mud boy. Major Holly Short has become _sexually_ involved with Artemis Fowl- of all humans! It is my position that this abomination be terminated immediately, and the Mud Men be completely purged of memories involving The People." Trouble was determined to unleash the full extent of his contempt in this statement.

The entire Council was shaken by the news. A fairy involved with a human? Worse than that, LEP entangled with Artemis Fowl. It was a potentially dangerous combination... dangerous, yet not illegal. Holly and Artemis had a lot of history together. So it wasn't an enormous surprise to anyone who was aware of the case files on Fowl.

Vinyaya spoke up. "Do you deny these allegations, Major Short?" She already knew the answer. Holly sat beside Artemis, who squeezed her hand.

"No." Holly said. Her voice trembled, but was filled with defiance. She didn't feel this was a matter she needed to discuss with anyone.

Lope let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Well, this is certainly... rare. However, Commander Kelp, you should realize, we are not the 'Bedroom Police'. If a fairy chooses to be involved on any level with another sentient being, it is not our place to condemn that relationship. Why, you'll find several half-breed elves in Haven. Nimbus is half goblin for goodness sakes! That type of pairing is almost as unbelievable."

Kelp was losing ground quickly. "Perhaps the court would be interested to know that Short was initially _my_ mate by rite of the old laws. Frond had the elves stay with their mates to maintain morals amongst his people. How can she be free to pursue another when I have not released her? She is still my mate!"

_Oh Brother _the Council thought collectively. They knew there was something deeper going on here…

Holly burst out of her chair, unable to keep her cool a second longer. Charging at Trouble, she stabbed her finger at his nose and spoke in her most dangerous tone. "You _have_ released me and you know it! Even if that old law still stood, WHICH IT DOES NOT, you would have no claim over me! I saw you fucking Lili Frond two years ago in the conference room!"

Trouble stumbled back but his anger prevented him from making a response.

"Major!" called out a member of the Council, "We shall not condone such a demeanor in this courtroom! Do you have proof to support this allegation?"

"With my apologies, your honors. Foaly, accessed the network. Pull up HollyS File 2258 c Personal, encryption code: C.H.E.A.T."

Foaly trotted over to a large plasma screen, accessing the file she requested. A video file loaded and and two elves appeared. It was 'Captain' Holly Short with 'Corporal' Frond in a conference room of the LEP headquarters.

_"Corporal Frond, would you mind coming here, I'm recalibrating the lens on this camera. I need a moving object while I do some test recordings." _Holly's image said.

_"Sure." _Lili answered in her melodic tone, as she stood directly in front of the camera waving like the bimbo she was. Holly disappeared out of the frame.

_"You sure are pretty, Lili. How on earth do you get your hair so shiny? I can see why Major Kelp's got a thing for you."_

Lili smiled proudly. _"It's a special protein regenerating conditioner. Kelp tells me it smells like strawberries."_

There was a faint gagging sound in the background. It may have been from the courtroom.

_"So, are you two destined for partnership, or what? Seems like he really has feelings for you."_

_"Partnership? Oh goodness, no. We're just having fun. Besides, Trouble says he has a mate already, though I've never met her- and she'll certainly never meet me!" _her laughter peeled through the audio. Trouble watched the video as if it were a car wreck.

Holly walked back into view. _"I think I've got the angles good. It seems to be recording fine." _Holly stared pointedly at the camera, then back at Lili, who smiled but didn't seem to put together that she had now been told _twice_ that she was being recorded. _"So, you don't care if he's already claimed? It's just 'fun'?" _Holly asked incredulously.

Lili shrugged. _"It's just two people scratching each other's itch. I guess his mate isn't giving him any lately."_ she said as she flipped her blonde locks over her shoulder. _"I'll bet I'm better in bed than her anyways. Besides that, he said he'd put in a good word for me for a Captain's position. You have no idea how expensive it is to keep up with these manicures. Not easy on a Corporal's salary."_

_"Yeah, I can imagine." _Holly said flatly. _"Well, thanks for helping me, Corporal. I hope you get that promotion." _she said with mock sincerity. _"I'm going to shut the camera down now, okay? You may go."_

_"Okey-doke!" _Lili said in her sing-song voice as she skipped out of view. The last captured image was a very smug Holly, grinning before the video went black. As Foaly shut down the file and turned back to Holly, he saw her wearing that exact same expression. It was a bit eerie.

Trouble swallowed hard. This was damning stuff. Holly returned to her seat beside Artemis, who smiled warmly at her. "Well played." he whispered in her ear.

Chairman Cahartez regained his composure first. "Trouble Kelp, can you refute this evidence? Was your recommendation for Lili Frond's promotion in return for sexual favors?" Another member spoke up, "Our records indicate that your recommendation was received by the Council only two weeks after this video was recorded."

Trouble was pale as a sheet. _I. am. screwed._ Why was that bimbo so stupid? Did Holly lure her into a false sense of security, of having some 'girl talk'? Trouble had specifically told Lili she wasn't to say anything to anyone. Trouble grasped at straws. "This video is inadmissible. The party was convinced she was merely assisting with technical work, not undergoing a recorded interrogation." His defense was weak at best.

Vinyaya spoke through gritted teeth. "It sounds to me like she was informed multiple times, that the conversation was being recorded." _It's her own damn fault she's a moron and couldn't put two and two together._

Trouble tried to turn the tables. "Regardless of this information, we are not here to discuss my indiscretions but those of Holly Short. She cannot be with a Mud Man. She supposes she can live on the surface with the human in his castle." he spat. "Do you realize the threat this would pose to The People?"

"Your Honors, if I may," Artemis surprised the court by speaking in fluent Gnommish. He hoped they would think of him as more than _just another Mud Man_. "You do have fairies stationed on the surface, correct?"

"Of course." Vinyaya replied. There were several LEP agents stationed at various locations, including most of the Disney parks around the world.

"When a fairy can live discreetly amongst humans, indeed even reproduce, the Council doesn't intervene unless they are breaking the laws of The Book, or putting The People as a whole in danger of exposure. If that wasn't true, you would have demanded all of their hybrid offspring to return to the Lower Elements." Artemis questioned.

Cahartez spoke. "We are unable to track fairy hybrids. They are few and far between, besides. All such hybrids seen in history have been almost entirely human in appearance, and devoid of magic. Their life span would be much closer to that of a human's. A surface life would be more appropriate for these fairies."

"Like myself." Artemis declared.

The courtroom buzzed at the revelation. Holly looked at him, confused. Artemis turned to Foaly who was still stationed by the plasma screen. "My file." Artemis requested. Foaly flinched, a little worried as to the Council's reaction when they realized they had not been notified about this development. Still, Foaly pulled up the Intelligence database and searched "Artemis Fowl the II". Foaly navigated through the _very large_ file until he found the DNA strand analysis. He enlarged the graph to fill the screen, visible to all in attendance.

"Artemis _very _recently provided me with this information, voluntarily. I've only just been able to verify its authenticity; therefore I didn't get a chance to present the information to your honors." Foaly fished excuses for his blunder.

Artemis had their full attention. "Members of the Council, as you can see, five generations prior to me, a hybrid was produced by a human/fairy pairing. As you say, the child looked entirely human, and the fairy chose to abandon this family, no doubt returning to the Lower Elements. That boy never knew his father. The fairy… was my great-great-great-grandfather."

You could've heard a pin drop in the room.

"It wasn't until I was transported to Hybras that I realized that there was something unique about me. In the time-dimensional tunnel, my mind linked with both of the demon warlocks. I could see where magic was supposed to belong in me, but was missing. I managed to acquire some in our transport. However, upon my return, I used it all to _mesmerize_ my parents into accepting my three year absence as a minor affair. Having such a low concentration of the fairy gene, I was unable to recharge by performing The Ritual. The only way I can regain my magic now is through a direct transfusion from a demon warlock." Artemis looked cautiously at Holly, gauging her reaction to this information. She seemed beyond shocked. She was staring at him, her eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Artemis addressed Holly quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you immediately, Holly. I really wasn't sure how you'd react. I only confirmed my suspicions recently, while exploring ways I could become your partner."

Holly's mind was still reeling. "You're part... _fairy?_" she said, barely audible. She pulled the gold necklace from her pocket and examined the coat of arms again. "The acorn?" she asked, as her mind struggled to put the puzzle pieces together.

Artemis returned to addressing the Council. "The only thing the fairy left for his son was a golden acorn trinket. It was kept in an oak box with the words "Gold is Power" inscribed under the lid. My great great grandfather incorporated these into the currently used Fowl coat of arms when he designed it. It's magical origin was always believed to be legend." He turned to Holly again. "You know we Irish love this sort of story."

Cahartez cut the stunned silence. "Major Short, we cannot keep you from being with Artemis, if that is your choice, and even if he were fully human. As far as living together, there are no surface positions available at this time. I believe I speak for the entire Council when I say that it would be extremely uncomfortable for everyone if Artemis was to live in the Haven. Regardless of his DNA, his appearance is one of a pure human. And a rather infamous human at that, despite more recent encounters."

Holly pulled herself out of her stupor. "No, I agree. Artemis shouldn't live down here. I will live with him on the surface." she stated flatly.

Cahartez' eyes narrowed. "Major, I just said there are _no_ open positions. We can put your name in for consideration when one becomes open - "

"No, no. That's not necessary." she cut him off. "I resign."

"Holly!" Trouble shouted, "Don't do this! Not for _him_! The LEP is your life!"

"Was." corrected Holly. "Not anymore. I have something else to live for... Some_one_ else." she smiled at a speechless Artemis.

Vinyaya tried vainly to convince one of her best pupils not to throw away her hard won career. "Holly - are you sure this is what you want? I'm sure a position will open shortly... I can help you with visa's in the meantime -"

"Being in the LEP isn't the safest occupation. I would hate to impose unnecessary risk on my partner." Holly addressed Vinyaya as she intertwined her fingers with Artemis's. He looked at her with stunned curiosity as he digested the meaning of her words.

"Holly, there's still so many risks to you... I'm not comfortable asking you to -" Artemis spoke urgently but softy to Holly, trying to keep the exchange private.

"Arty, you don't have to ask me. I've already told you what I want. I told you before, my choices are exactly that... mine. You're not forcing me into anything. I can decide for myself." Holly told him, softly.

Cahartez cleared his throat in an effort to hush the private conversation. "Well, Holly, if you are a civilian, and feel you can live safely above ground…" he shrugged, "we cannot demand otherwise. However, as a former LEPrecon, you know you will be surveyed periodically." He turned to Artemis. "You'll ensure that your living arrangements will not expose The People?"

"Absolutely." Artemis responded, with complete certainty.

Cahartez grumbled as he thought it over. He didn't like the idea of an elf on the surface. But the unique circumstances of this situation needed to be considered. She'd be with Artemis, who had aided The People on a number of occasions. On top of that, he was part fairy himself. If anyone had the ability to keep the presence of his lover secret, it would be him. In addition, Holly was LEP. She knew how to keep herself inconspicuous. "The Council will deliberate on this matter. In the meantime, Commander Kelp is hereby placed on unpaid Leave of Absence until Internal Affairs can investigate your conduct."

Trouble gasped. How did this all go so horribly wrong? He could _hear_ his wallet shrinking. He gawked at the ceiling.

As the Council filed into their chambers, everyone rose, and made there way into the hall. Trouble was left behind, in a despair induced shock. Suddenly, Holly felt guilty to have dropped the hammer so severely… but how else could she get Trouble off her back? Still, when he wasn't being an obsessive male he was a great officer. The force really needed people like him. She sincerely hoped that his career would survive this, and she honestly believed it would. Trouble was a young male with connections. It was Captain Frond who was really in danger, and Holly didn't give a shit about what happened to her. She walked up to him, speaking consolingly. "I never wanted anyone to know about that. You just pushed too far. Skylar, If you would have just given up from the beginning -"

Trouble glared at her, absolutely livid. That she would use his old name to address him, like he was some useless _child_! "Holly, I don't need your pity. And I'll leave you and Mud Boy alone. At this point, I wouldn't take you back even if you begged!" he hissed bitterly.

She made a sudden movement as if she was going to strike him, and he flinched. His hands instinctively protected his privates. She laughed at his cowering form as she walked away, feeling _much _less guilty.

Outside in the hall, Holly found Butler and Artemis waiting. He looked at her with such warmth and love that her bravado vanished. She could feel herself blush. "Artemis?" she managed to say.

Artemis knelt down to be at eye level with her. He spoke quietly since they were not alone. "I was about to tell you everything before... things got out of hand. Qwan and No.1 are confident that I can be re-infused with magic, making our partnering possible. However, since my life span is not the same as yours, my body would only be able to regenerate dying cells through magic for a certain period of time. I would have to perform the Ritual with you on a regular basis as my body aged. Even still, the longest we could expect to live is only 800 years." Artemis explained. The fact that her life expectancy would be shortened dramatically eclipsed any desire he had to extend his own. It was the primary reason he refrained from sharing the news with her before.

Holly's eyebrows furrowed as she digested it all. She blinked, a bit confused. "Let me get this straight... You and I _can_ partner?" she asked.

"Yes." Artemis cocked an eyebrow at her. He thought he had stated this quite simply.

"Okay... but you didn't want to go through with it, because, we'd _only_ live to be 800?" she asked, incredulous.

"At best, yes. Holly. I know elves can live as long as 1500 years. My partnering with you could effectively cut your life in half. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"Artemis." Holly said, reproachful.

"Yes?" he asked, curious about the tone in which she addressed him.

"Neither of my parents lived to see 500. Julius wasn't even 700 when he was murdered. Living to 800 would make me a relic to you. It is shorter than average, but not drastically so. I was under the impression that if I partnered with you, we'd only get to live out _your natural_ human lifespan- not even one century. Even then… I still wanted you as my partner." Holly disregarded the fact that Trouble was only yards away from them and most certainly within earshot. She placed her hand on Artemis's cheek and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

Right at that moment, Council Member Lope emerged from chambers, slightly recoiled at the sight of Holly and Artemis's affection, and informed everyone that a decision had been reached.

Holly, Artemis, Foaly and Butler all reentered the room to hear the Council's ruling. Trouble had surrendered to his misery, staring at the wall blankly. Artemis was terribly nervous his offer to keep Holly safely on the surface would be dismissed. He fought to keep his composure. Holly looked a bit more confident. Maybe she was just better at putting on a brave face in front of these people... she'd done it many times now.

Artemis and Holly didn't bother sitting. The verdict was regarding their lives. They stood holding each other's hands, while Cahartez addressed them.

"Holly. You are certain that you're willing to leave the LEP, to be with this human?" he questioned.

"Yes." she answered, almost before he finished asking.

"And… it is your intent to somehow become partnered with him?"

"It is possible, for us to partner. And yes," she stated confidently, looking at Artemis. "That is _my_ decision." He squeezed her hand. Even his genius brain was reeling. Just that morning he thought he'd lost his love for good. He was willing to erase her from his life. Now she was declaring to everyone that she was choosing a life committed to him. It was overwhelming.

Cahartez let out a defeated sigh. "Very well. But know this, both of you: we will be keeping tabs on you. If knowledge of your existence is threatened, we may be forced to relocate you to a rural area of the Lower Elements."

The verdict was more than acceptable to both Holly and Artemis. Artemis smiled gratefully at the Council members while Holly was failing to suppress a squeal.

"Thank you, your Honors!" Holly sang, her voice allowing more of her joy to escape.

Council Chairman Cahartez addressed everyone one last time. "You are all excused. Oh, not you, Trouble. Everyone _except_ Commander Kelp." He corrected himself. "And Foaly, stay nearby, you may be requested to testify." Foaly gladly nodded in response.

As the four of them walked out of the room, Butler clapped Artemis on the shoulder. "Looks like the Manor has a new resident." he smiled at them.

Artemis never let his hand release Holly's. He beamed a smile at her. He couldn't believe his good fortune. Holly was moving in with him. She wanted him as her partner. It was so much to take in. He felt a lump of lead form in his throat. His heart palpitated wildly in his chest. He never felt so… alive.

Holly looked back at him with a smile. "Arty, I'm going to go home and pack. You should stay at Police Plaza. Why don't you have Foaly contact No.1? We can meet with him _together_ this time." Artemis nodded in response, still unsure if his voice would betray his emotions.

* * *

Holly made her way to her apartment. She was surprised to see a familiar face waiting at her door. Mulch Diggums, grinning. "So I hear yer boakin' out." he called to her.

"How did you - Who told you?" she asked.

"News travels fast in small circles, Holly. I thought I'd help you carry your junk to the shuttle port." Mulch replied.

"Wow... thanks." Holly went to unlock her door when she noticed it was already unlocked…

"I got hungry." he said in a not-so-apologetic tone. When she gave him a glare, he looked offended. "You're not going to need that food anyway- you're moving out! I was doing you a favor."

Holly shook her head in disbelief, but smiled. She left Mulch in the hallway while she surveyed the lonely apartment she had called home for the past 23 years. She moved in here right after her mother's death, and never found any reason to find a bigger place. With her promotions, she could have afforded much more, but she had been comfortable here. This was her home. _Was..._

Holly found a duffle bag in a drawer and began packing the majority of her clothes- which surprisingly, wasn't much since she lived in uniform. She would need to change out of her LEP uniform. She sighed as she pulled the tight LEP jumpsuit from her body. She would never wear it again. Still, it was a small price to pay for all that she was receiving. Besides, she knew Trouble would simply get a slap on the wrist. In no time he'd be back to his position as her boss. Not appealing in the least. She folded the jumpsuit, collected her office uniform garments, including the girly cravat, and placed them in a separate bag. She grabbed some of her own casual clothes and changed into them. Just jeans and a t-shirt. Might as well be comfortable. Finally, she slipped the Fowl pendant over her neck, and let it tangle with her mother's copy of The Book.

She headed into her bathroom to grab any toiletries she might need. Artemis would buy her whatever she forgot or couldn't fit, but she was fairly certain finding a bottle of ear moisturizer would prove difficult.

She wasn't sure what to do about the furniture. Not to mention she had three more months on her current lease, pre-paid. Maybe No.1 would like to move in to her old place. He was 19 now. He should probably give Qwan some space, move out on his own.

She gave her place one last glance, making sure she had everything she absolutely needed, and smiled fondly. _Goodbye, Haven._

* * *

**Chapter Notes: So... happy ending, yes? I didn't leave you all screaming impatiently at me. I'm not sure why I gave Mulch such American thug dialect but I guess I thought it was amusing since he spent some time in L.A.**

**Thank you all for reviewing! I love hearing your feedback. I'm glad to see some of you are starting to see where I'm moving things. I was afraid I was making things very cloak-and-dagger...**


	13. New Beginnings

**A/N: BIG THANKS to my hubby for editing for me. You are the best. Luv u. 3**

**Anywho... I call this chappy my 'lemon-filled donut'. It's all fluffy and sweet on the outside, with a delicious lemony filling. :D It's kinda a 'rough style' lemon if you catch my drift. After writing this whole chapter of fluff I felt it necessary to inject some hardcore lovin' in it. Sorry if it's not your style. I know for a few of you...it's _exactly_ your style. ;)**

**I was very happy to get some revenge on Kelp in this chapter. I hope you like it too. Mwa ha ha ha ha...**

**I was surprised to think some of you thought that this story was nearing its' end. Oh dear readers! This is only half way! There is so, so much more to go. **

* * *

Holly emerged from her apartment for the last time, all of her necessary worldly possessions fitting into two bags. Mulch grabbed the _lighter_ one and they headed back to Police Plaza.

"You know," he started, "I'm actually going to miss you, Short. We had some fun times together. Remember that time I got you out of a locked trunk? Or that time I got you into Koboi Labs and essentially saved The People? Or how about the time -"

"Hey," Holly interrupted him, "do you remember that time that your arrogance led me to track you down in L.A. and buzz your ass right before taking you into custody?" Holly smirked at him.

Mulched unconsciously rubbed his bum at the memory. "Yeah... Good times." he said dryly.

Holly smiled. "You're right though, Mulch. We couldn't have saved the world on multiple occasions without you. I never thought I'd say it, but I think I might just miss you a bit too. Just a bit though. And not the smell."

Mulch's smile remained as they reached Police Plaza, and he returned her bag. "Tell Mud Boy 'Congrats' for me. I'm sure I'll see you both again in the near future." he extended his hand to her.

Holly shook his hand. "Until then, Diggums."

"Until then." he agreed.

Holly's smile wavered. Saying her goodbyes was more difficult than she imagined, and she'd only just started. She quickly paced back to where Artemis- and her new life- would be waiting for her.

* * *

While Holly went to the apartment to collect her things, Artemis and Butler waited in the conference room, located between the Recon and Retrieval departments. Foaly had just compiled a testimony for Trouble's hearing, detailing how he was conned into unwarranted spying and almost performing an illegal mind-wipe. Artemis made sure he included the fact that Kelp made unauthorized trips to his home and of course, illegally placed recording devices on Holly's person.

"We can't add the bug to the statement without evidence, Artemis. We're going to need at least some audio from the feed to prove it. Are you sure you want that?" Foaly asked, uncertain.

"There's got to be at least twelve hours worth of audio from that. I'm sure we can find something rather innocuous to supply for the court." Artemis replied.

"I don't know..." Foaly muttered.

"Why? Have you heard it? How much of it?" Artemis demanded, annoyed.

Foaly feigned innocence but his snickering gave him away. "Maybe..." he finally acknowledged, laughing openly. "Tell me, what did she use… to tie you up with?" The last few words were barely understandable as he gasped for air between his fit of giggles.

Artemis realized the teasing was never going to stop. Not as long as people knew they could get a reaction from him. He was going to need to man up, and stop being embarrassed about this.

"My neck ties." he proudly declared, puffing out his chest. Even Butler couldn't resist a laugh.

Foaly's coughing slowed his laughter. "Seriously, Artemis. You're lucky you're still so young. It sounds like you got a real wild cat on your hands." He wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "But it's nice. You know, I'm just teasing, of course. I'm really happy for you two. I can't even remember the last time Caballine and I, well... you know." he said in a much more somber tone. Butler wasn't going to reveal how long it had been for him, and he _did_ remember.

Desperate to move the attention off his sex life, Artemis heard an opportunity to change the subject. "Holly told me you two were having problems, what's going on?" Artemis asked with genuine concern.

"Ah...well. She's actually suing for divorce now. I really hoped she would reconsider, but she said 'it's her or the job', and well... how am I supposed to not have a job? I need to support us, right?" Foaly said defensively, but more as if to convince himself.

Artemis's eyebrows furrowed. "She works, doesn't she?"

"Yes, but it's not like it's a huge salary or anything. I mean, I guess we could cut back... here and there." Foaly admitted weakly.

"Couldn't you sell your patents and work from home? I've managed to make several million Euros that way. I'm sure you've made out well for yours as well."

"Yes, but, you mean, leave the LEP?" Foaly asked, incredulous.

"It's her or the job, Foaly, now which do you love more? Ask yourself honestly. Financially, you don't really need the job. You enjoy the challenge the LEP gives you and the budget they supply to develop new technology. Is it worth the sacrifice? If it is, then why change? But if it's not..." Artemis cocked an eyebrow at him. "Just think about, Foaly. I'd do anything for Holly, because I love her." he said pointedly.

"What are you insinuating?" Foaly asked, mildly insulted.

"Nothing at all. I just admonish you to keep your priorities straight."

Foaly wanted to be irritated with Artemis, but he couldn't. He was right. All Caballine wanted was a little balance from her husband, and he failed her, miserably. _Maybe it's not too late..._ he thought.

Just then, Holly appeared in the doorway. "Hey Arty. Recon's deserted. Do you want to see where I _used to_ work?" she asked in a cheery voice.

Artemis smiled as he stood. "I would enjoy that of all things." He pushed a hand towards Butler as he passed, urging him to stay put. "I won't be far. I haven't had so much as a second alone with her. We need to talk about a few things." Butler decided to be reasonable, and nodded in acknowledgement.

Holly led Artemis through the Recon unit office, pointing out different consoles and their purposes. There was a block of dreary looking cubicles, and beyond them a row of private office doors. Holly pointed to the far left cubical. "That's where I used to sit, as Captain. Lil' Miss Bimbo's got that seat now. We'll see for how long..." she trailed off with a malicious snicker.

Artemis smiled in reply but continued as a quiet observer. On any other day, this would have been fascinating. However, all he could think about was the fact that Holly was leaving all of this, everything she knew, to come home with him. Home to stay.

Holly reached the row of offices and pointed. "This one is… well, _was_ mine." she stated, "That one there is _Kelp's._" His name came out like it tasted of pure bile in her mouth.

They both looked at each other for a moment, seeming to communicate telepathically.

"Shall we 'trash' it?" Artemis proposed with a wicked smile.

Holly was stunned that _Artemis,_ of all people, would suggest such a thing. It was unbecoming, unprofessional, immature. What had come over him?

She returned his wicked smile with one of her own. "Hell yes."

Holly ran to the door, and it was predictably unlocked. Kelp usually forgot to lock up when he left, and right now he was probably too preoccupied to with the fact that his career was being sucked into the vortex of the bio-waste extractor.

"Wait, are there are any cameras in here?" Artemis asked before proceeding.

Holly knew there was just one, on top of the plasma screen set up for video chat. She found it, gripped it by the cables and wrenched it free from the wall. "Not anymore." she proclaimed.

After Holly and Artemis exchanged gleeful smiles, like two kids up to no good, they swept weeks worth of work to the floor, grabbing everything off the book shelves, everything within sight, and even the contents of his desk made it to the floor. Holly started kicking items for good measure... making sure they were thoroughly scattered and shuffled. It didn't even take an entire minute between the two of them- the office was a total disaster. Holly then climbed on his desk, victorious, hands on her hips like she had just accomplished a grand conquest. "I know! We should piss on his desk!" she laughed, only half joking.

Artemis put his hands on her hips and kissed her navel, just visible below the hem of her little t-shirt. "I can think of a better present to leave on his desk." he whispered against her.

Holly's breath caught, as she processed his meaning. It was more than appealing on so many levels. She hadn't been with Artemis in weeks, and truth be told, destruction of public property made her horny as hell. Just considering the sweet, _sweet_ poetic revenge... it was an opportunity that could not be passed up.

Holly sat on the desk's surface, draping her legs over the front. She grabbed Artemis by the waist of his pants and clawed at his belt and pants. They piled to his ankles, revealing black boxers. "Mmm, you look good in all black," she mused, working down the buttons of his black shirt, and dragged her mouth down his bared chest, panting hard. Her tongue traced back up his stomach, causing every muscle in his abdomen to tense. She ran her hands around to his ass until she found the waist band to his boxers. One tug, and they too joined his pants around his ankles. He still had his jacket on, but she was distracted by the sight of his stiff manhood and let out a hungry moan. Artemis couldn't take it much longer.

Already thoroughly aroused, he crouched down to tear off her shirt, tugging it over head and flinging it away, accompanying the disarray of items already strewn across the office floor. His hands went for the clasp to her bra, and their lips met in a passionate hurry.

He tossed the bra, threading his hands through her hair and held her face to his own. He moved his mouth on hers, taking her bottom lip between his. Holly reveled in the kiss, opening her mouth and searching with her tongue. She needed this, so badly. She hadn't realized how badly.

As they kissed, a hand left her hair, trailed down to her breast, and gently caressed the peak of her nipple. It hardened instantly and as Holly's kiss became more fervent, she could have sworn she heard Artemis whimper. In that very instant, the hand still in her hair fisted, pulling tightly against it. Her head was pulled back, and his other hand's soft caress changed into something more like a rough grope. He moved to ravish her neck, and Holly gasped at the sudden change of stimulation. She loved it rough. She was a cop, after all. Still, she never felt like it was Artemis's style, and he'd for the most part been a not-so-willing participant. But now, she had done nothing to provoke this harsh treatment. It was incredibly hot, that he'd initiated it himself.

Artemis pulled her hair, bending her body back down against the desk. She arched against the hard surface. With the table top not being wide enough to support more than her torso, her head hung over the back edge. Holly interlaced her fingers behind his neck to support herself, and Artemis anchored her to the small surface by holding her thighs straddled at his waist. However, he'd need his hands to remove her jeans. He wrapped her legs around him and they locked themselves around his waist as he went for the fastenings of her jeans. Popping her pants open, he paused to look down at his lover, hanging on to him. He only now noticed that at some point this evening, she had replaced the necklace. It shone in bright contrast against her caramel skin. His eyes raked down her torso, taking in her firm breasts and taut abdomen. Below her navel, hot pink panties peeked through the open fly of her jeans, begging to be removed.

"You gonna stand there gawking or are you going to fuck me?" she said impatiently with a wicked smile. She saw his expression darken considerably as a low growl ripped from the back of his throat.

He slapped her hip, hard. "Ass. Up. Now." he demanded, while hooking his thumbs in her belt loops. Holly's could feel the wetness pooling between her legs. She complied, and releasing her hold around his neck, propped herself up on her forearms on the hard desk. She angled her pelvis upward and Artemis slipped both jeans and panties from her bottom. Holly dropped her now bare ass down on the desk and untangled her legs from around him so that he could finish removing the offensive garments. He rolled her pants off her legs, leaning back slightly to shed them entirely. He grabbed her bare calves, his eyes targeted on the sight of her wet center. Holly spread completely open on either side of him as she perched her heels against the edge of the desk top.

Artemis continued to stare at this beautiful, _sexy_ creature, giving herself to him. He was awestruck that this was just the beginning of the rest of their lives together. In the back of his mind, he briefly mused about his previous conversation with Foaly. _It _is _a good thing I'm young... and will be for quite some time, now._

Artemis could hear Holly's breaths coming in rapid gasps and noticed her arousal increasing with the swelling of her clit. _It's never polite to make a lady wait._ he thought smugly. Artemis positioned himself over her panting body, the head of his cock easily navigating to the entrance of her soaked pussy. Gaining leverage, he leaned on one arm over her, and slid inside. Slowly at first, noticing that she had grown tight over weeks of neglect. Holly shuddered and hissed at the contact, making Artemis unsure if it was due to pain or pleasure. He paused for a moment while her body recovered from the initial penetration. Gradually, her walls relaxed around him and he could feel moisture mingling between their coupled sexes. Comfortable he wouldn't hurt her, he began to move at a slow and steady pace.

Holly replaced her hands around the back of his neck and began to moan loudly, as usual. Artemis prayed that this office was either sound proof or that there was truly no one around. Regardless of the risk, Artemis couldn't silence her. Her enraptured cry was his siren song. He found no other sound as mesmerizing the moans of her ecstasy that he provoked.

Artemis pinned her against the desk, lowered his mouth to her neck, sucking and nipping roughly at her skin. Holly's moaning increased in volume and intensity as she bucked beneath him, wordlessly begging to increase his rhythm. Artemis willingly complied, pounding into her with increasing force. Their bodies writhed in unison, his knees banging on the front of the desk, her head hanging over the other side. Holly could feel the fabric of his jacket brushing against her skin and the irony of her location teasing her body in ways she hadn't imagined. He thrust into her, pressing her down hard on her former lover's desk, his work crinkling under Artemis's feet. Her moans became literal screams as she found her climax approaching.

Artemis could feel her walls constricting and pushed down on her shoulder with all his weight, completely pinning her down. The force was more than Holly would have previously given him credit for, as she found herself immobile beneath him. His rough kisses along her neck and shoulder turned into a restraining bite-hold on her as some primal part of his subconscious told him he needed to reestablish himself as her mate. Especially in his rival's territory. Holly's scream died in her throat as she felt his teeth against her flesh. Artemis wasn't really one to be rough, though she craved it desperately, yet now he couldn't be less gentle. He pounded into her with brutal ferocity. Holly ground against him, or at least tried to, with the minimal movement she could manage. The frenzy continued until her inner walls were in a state of constant spasm, milking him for everything he had, begging for release. Her fingernails dug into his back as she felt herself reaching her climax. It was no question to him when she came as he could feel the fluids flowing and the muscles of her walls clamped his member within her. This alone was enough to bring his own release but the sensation paired with the delicious sound of her orgasmic scream echoing in the small space had him only moments after her, claiming her as his. He allowed his body to yield to the sensation, and grunted as he let everything out. Each pulsating wave sent weeks of pent up sexual frustration pouring into her. Holly whimpered as the warm juices filled her.

Unlocking his jaw, Artemis released his hold on her shoulder. Still trying to focus his eyes past the stars that danced before them, he found he was not yet able to lift himself free of her. He tenderly kissed the spot where he had bit her, finding it curious that he had acted in such a manner. Holly greedily sucked in deep breaths, trying to regulate her pounding heart. Once he had regained a sufficient blood supply to his brain, Artemis wrapped his arms around Holly, lifting her up with him. She clung to his chest, still coupled below. Having positioned her where he wanted, Artemis withdrew himself from her. A devilish smile crept across his face as he felt the fluid spill generously over his member and onto the desktop. Holly stared at him in dumb amazement. She knew _exactly_ what he was doing, and she thought it was pure genius. She bit her lip and gave herself an extra squeeze for good measure.

Artemis stepped back from off the desk with Holly still against him, leaving a startling puddle as evidence of their actions. Both Artemis and Holly smiled proudly at the sight, then at one another. Trouble absolutely deserved it.

Artemis let her down and managed to dress himself rather quickly, as his clothes never left his person. However, he had the tendency to fling her clothing during the removal process. He found her shirt close by and hunted for her jeans. Holly walked over to the plasma screen on the wall, kicking paper as she went.

She examined her neck in the faint reflection the screen provided. The mark was very obviously not a hickey, as it was shaped in a perfect half circle. She traced the reddening crescent shape with her finger, still astonished by his boldness. Artemis looked over at her, as her fingers played upon the mark he had left on her body. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, though he didn't sound very concerned.

Holly smiled at him but gave him no answer. Of course it hurt. That didn't mean she didn't enjoy it. When she didn't answer, Artemis walked over to her still nude body and gently combed his fingers through her hair. "Aren't you going to heal it?" his voice now inflected a bit more anxiety regarding the results of his actions.

"I could. But I don't think I will. Not yet, anyway." Holly replied. She was still impressed. She decided to wear the mark for the time being.

Holly looked away from the dim reflection and towards Artemis. She beamed a smile at him before taking the clothing he had gathered. He managed to find everything but her panties. "Where are my underwear? They have got to be here somewhere!" she said, perplexed.

Artemis moved her train of thought elsewhere. "You know, dear. They are going to come looking for us soon. You should just put your pants on and forget your panties. Wherever they are, they can just taunt Kelp more when he stumbles across them." he said as his signature smug grin began to grace his face.

Holly cocked her eyebrow at him suspiciously. Still, she was completely nude and Artemis was right. Anyone could come through the door at any minute, including Trouble himself, and all she had was a pile of clothes in her arms. Succumbing to the loss, Holly stepped into her jeans, pantiless, and dressed in the remainder of her discovered clothing. "We should go." she said to Artemis once she was fully clothed. At least… on the outside.

"You should check the area first and make sure the coast is clear. Remember, I'm not supposed to be in here." Artemis reminded her.

Holly nodded and left the office, closing the door quietly behind her. As soon as she was out of sight, Artemis found a black marker in the rubble, and pulled Holly's panties from his pocket. He scripted his message quickly on the seat of the garment. There was no need to sign it.

Artemis managed to compose his spite-filled expression and hid his note in a drawer before Holly returned. "Okay, we're clear. Let's move out." she whispered, like they were on some covert operation.

Artemis smiled as he took her hand, following her to her office. Holly unlocked the door, as she was always responsible enough to keep it locked. Immediately, Artemis could see the office was substantially smaller, but immensely more organized, even in comparison to the pre-destruction version of Trouble's office. Holly had dropped the bag containing her uniforms on her office chair. Her badge was in her drawer and the Neutrino was in the storage lock-up. Whoever had the morning shift would be briefed regarding her resignation and have the pleasure of clearing out her office and re-assigning her unfinished work. She would have felt smug about this, had it been Trouble's responsibility, but with him on a mandatory leave of absence, it would most likely be poor Freiya. When Holly realized that, she started to pile the case files in some sort of order, labeling them with notes as to how far in progress she had made her way through them. Artemis watched as she went through the files, reflecting on how dedicated she was to her work. He would have to keep her busy with something, and soon. He figured he'd have about two weeks with her before she started to get bored. He took mental notes of how her office was laid out. She'd probably find working in a similar setting comforting.

After Holly was satisfied with all she could do, she took a last look at her office. "Oh!" she said as she suddenly remembered something she couldn't forget. She opened the drawer to her desk and found a framed picture of her mother. "Arty, this is my mom." she said, as if she was introducing them in person.

Artemis took the picture in his hands and looked at the elf it showcased. Coral bore a striking resemblance to Holly, or rather, Holly resembled Coral. Her mother wore her hair long and down her back. It was a slightly lighter shade than Holly's but still auburn nonetheless. Her skin tone was a bit more pale in comparison to Holly's though Artemis always imagined since Holly saw the surface more than most fairies, she probably got a bit of color. Then again, she was always covered up... so perhaps her father had a darker skin tone. Suffice it to say, Coral was a beautiful elf. Artemis could see where Holly got her looks.

"She's beautiful… like you." he told her as he handed the photo back to her. Holly smiled as she accepted both the photo and the compliment. She looked down at the photo of her mother with a forlorn expression. "I wish she could have met you. I wish you could have met _her_. She was a real firecracker."

"Something else you inherited?"

Holly let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess."

"Holly, how old is your mother in that photograph?" Artemis inquired. By human terms, she looked about early thirties.

"Hmm, I'd say probably in her mid 450's. If I had to guess." Holly said, matter-of-factly.

"Wow." Artemis couldn't fully wrap his mind around living to 450 but could put together the fact that just by her appearance, this was a young female. She had lost her life very shortly after this photo was taken. It was very tragic, to lose both parents at such a young age. "Holly?"

"Mmm?" she half replied, never looking away from the photo.

"I hope you enjoy living with your new family."

She finally looked away from the picture to look up at Artemis. He smiled warmly at her. Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sure I will."

"Of course, if they begin to annoy you as much as they do me, we could always move out on our own." Artemis added.

Holly laughed. "Of course... though I am pretty sure Butler wouldn't be too happy with that idea." Almost on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"Artemis? Holly?" It was Butler. They were probably holding everyone up.

"Come in." Holly called to him cheerily. Butler opened the door and Holly and Artemis could see Foaly was right behind him.

"Oh, good. You're dressed. I half expected... well..." Foaly joked.

Holly and Artemis gave him a horrified, insulted look. Still, Foaly would probably find out the truth tomorrow morning if Kelp came in to collect his personal things.

"Okay, lovebirds. We got to get you home while it's still dark. Holly, you have everything?" Foaly asked.

"Yep. All set."

On his way back, Artemis made sure his hair wasn't a disaster to save himself from more ribbing. Unfortunately, although his hair was fine, Holly's v-neck t-shirt did not fully cover the mark on her neck. In the bright light of the shuttle port, Butler immediately noticed but only smiled at Artemis. If Foaly caught on then the teasing would be endless.

Boarding the shuttle, Butler carried Holly's things inside. Foaly scooped Holly into a tight hug. "Take care of yourself. It's not going to be the same here without you."

Holly fought back her emotions. "Stop it, Foaly. You know I hate that. Don't get all slobbery on me or I'm going to lose it too." she said as she could feel the tears pricking her eyes. Still, she hugged him back. "You take care too. And don't be a stranger. You can call whenever."

Releasing Holly, who jumped into the shuttle, Foaly gave Artemis a firm hand shake. "Congratulations, Mud Boy. You be sure and take care of her for me."

"Of course."

"And stay out of my systems." Foaly added.

"No promises." Artemis smiled.

"And stop biting her." he smirked, hoping to get a rise.

Artemis didn't let his irritation show, and instead only exuded smugness as he stepped aboard. "No promises on that either."

Foaly let out a huge guffaw. "All right kids, get the hell outta here!" he yelled, slapping the hull.

Holly and Artemis joined Butler in the passenger area. An LEP Private piloted them back to Fowl Manor. On the way back to the surface, both Artemis and Holly fell asleep in each other's embrace. Butler mused he'd most likely be carrying in Artemis once again. Unless Holly had some sort of trick to wake him.

She did. Upon arrival at the Manor, Butler easily woke Holly, and tried to get Artemis to stir. He looked over to Holly for assistance. "Sometimes you just need to find the 'on' switch." she joked, and gave Artemis a brutal nipple twist.

"BLOODY HELL!" Artemis bolted awake, aghast at Holly. He rubbed his nipple but Holly only beamed innocently at him. As Artemis disembarked the shuttle, Butler could hear him muttering to himself, "Women are so cruel..."

Butler opened the door to the Manor, disengaging multiple security systems immediately upon entry. Artemis followed Holly into the house. Once inside, she took a deep breath. Suddenly the drafty castle she'd been to so many times before took on a new light. This was where she lived now.

"I'm home." she said, quietly.

Artemis leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Welcome home."

* * *

At the crack of noon, Trouble woke from his drunken stupor. Still in his crumpled uniform, he dug around in the kitchen for something to take for his splitting headache. He couldn't believe how horribly everything had turned out. Not only did he _not_ get Holly, but she was now gone for good, living on the surface with the Mud Whelp. Trouble would need to get back to the office before all his access codes were cut. He had to remove some incriminating evidence before going up against the I.A.

When he arrived, Commander Freiya was waiting to greet the disheveled Trouble. Her face blazed with contempt at him. "Kelp. One of the aides tells me your office is trashed! I don't care how pissed off you are, you can't take it out on LEP property! How immature are you? I want it cleaned and the files organized so that I can pick up the pieces you've left behind! And give me your badge, the Council says you're on leave indefinitely."

Trouble looked at her bewildered. Did he trash his office in a drunken rage? Maybe. He couldn't remember... Though, two bottles of Jameson would have that effect on any elf.

Opening his office door, Trouble was immediately presented by the sight of every item his office contained strewn across the floor in blind disarray. Trouble frowned. He really didn't remember doing this. After collecting several files, he went to place them in a stack on his desk… but was disturbed to see a sticky, white fluid pooled in the center. Uncertain _exactly_ what it was, though having a fair idea of what it _might_ be, Trouble opened a drawer looking for tissues to wipe it away. He was going to need a lot of tissues…

_I usually can't wank off when I'm drunk. And I certainly don't remember trying..._ he thought before opening the desk drawer. It was empty, except for something that looked like a fluorescent pink handkerchief. Pulling it out to examine, he held them up to the light for closer inspection. They were panties. Autographed panties. Trouble read the message that was written in neat English script on the back.

_"A reminder of what you will never have, and I will never lose."_

Before the words even registered, he knew whom the message was from. He quickly put two and two together, realizing he had _not_ trashed the office in a drunken stupor, and the mess on the desktop was _not_ his own. Appalled, Trouble recoiled from the desk, slid along the wall and burst out the door, only to find Freiya in his way.

"Kelp. Did you get those files in order?" she asked sternly.

"I'm not touching a GODDAMN thing in that office until someone purges the Mud Man out of it! He left his fucking DNA on my desk!" he roared, shoving the pink panties at Freiya as further evidence.

"I don't appreciate that language _or_ your tone, Commander!" she had already shouted back before looking at what he was holding. Seeing that the item was panties, and scanning the message, Freiya caught his meaning regarding 'DNA' and was equally appalled but continued to act professional. _Men..._ she thought as she rolled her eyes. "Call custodial, Kelp. Don't burden me with more of _your_ problems. I'm already overloaded and under staffed thanks to you. I'm stuck looking after two units, one that doesn't have a Major and another who's lost a Captain! So excuse me if my heart doesn't bleed for you right now."

_Lost a Captain?_ "Who was the Captain? Frond? What happened?" he demanded anxiously.

"Oh I didn't mean to sound dramatic, like she got killed or anything. You know it was just a desk job. I was told this morning she's been dismissed. I _was_ thinking of putting Grub in the spot, since he seems like a 'desk job kind of guy'. But I'm hesitant to introduce new 'Kelp' problems if I make that choice."

Trouble was momentarily dazed. He hadn't just messed up his life... but now he was ruining others too. Lili had been fired, without even a tribunal, unheard of. Holly was forced to quit, instead of just waiting for a surface job. And worst of all, his brother could be turned down for a promotion, simply because of their blood relation. _Mommy is going to be so mad..._

"Grub would make a fine Captain, Commander Freiya." he stated, overly formal. "He has not been involved with any of my recent affairs, and I can assure you he would take on the responsibility with all professionalism." _That is, when he's not whining or lodging complaints...Why am I sticking my neck out for him again?_

"Noted, Commander. You know it's not my decision alone. I'll bring it up at the next Council meeting. Now am I going to have to ask you again to get your office back in order?"

Cursing inwardly, Trouble grumbled. "Just let me get some bleach and paper towels!"

* * *

**Chapter Notes: So I hope you liked it. You guys clearly have nothing better to do this weekend than read my story. I have decided to feel honored by that. I can't say I honestly thought I'd be putting up 3 chapters in 1 day but when you bribe me with reviews… I just can't refuse. **

**PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVIEW! I want 300! *whines* Please?**


	14. Remembering

**A/N: Okay, so first and foremost, I must put out my disclaimer: I have used a direct quote from the Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception novel in this chapter. Do not sue me for plagiarism. The reason being... well, it's kinda obvious, really. But I just needed to put in what Holly's reaction would have been to his video.**

**That's it... Enjoy. Remember, Eoin Colfer owns all but my cool plot. **

* * *

Holly cocooned herself in the 1200 thread-count sheets, purring as the Egyptian cotton caressed her bare skin. She felt like a princess in a fairy tale... or, a fairy in a princess tale? Holly's gaze wandered to the fresco on the ceiling and watched the patterns and designs the morning light cast through the curtains. _Natural light..._

She looked over to her 'prince charming' who was not looking very royal at that moment. Nothing short of 'healthy corpse' described Artemis's sleeping form. On top of that, 'bed head' failed to capture the modern art sculpture that was his hair. They had gotten in so late that night... or rather, that morning. Even Holly was still drained from lack of sleep and emotional strain, but she couldn't fall back asleep. She was so excited about the most recent revelations. Her and Artemis would be partnered, and in the near future. She would have never thought that would be a choice she'd make, or that the person she would choose would be human. But Artemis wasn't your typical human.

Holly tried to stir Artemis, waking him a bit more kindly than she had earlier that morning on the shuttle. "Artemis? Arty, love..." she shook him gently. Of course there was zero reaction. "C'mon Arty! Get up!" she shook him harder. He stirred, only to roll onto his back but remained catatonic. Holly climbed on top of him, straddle across him on her knees and shook him at the shoulders. Artemis let out a simple groan but that was it. Still dead to the world. Holly sighed and sat her butt down on his abdomen. She was only mildly surprised to feel his erection poking between her bum cheeks. Artemis was prone to this almost every morning. A smug grin spread across Holly's face. _Maybe I'll try another tactic._

Artemis was having a fantastic dream. He had taken Holly to the Cayman Islands on the family yacht. They were making love in the master cabin except, Holly appeared different. She always seemed to look a bit different in his dreams. Larger in stature, more human. In this dream, her hair was long, cascading down to her mid back and a few strands tumbling over her breasts. He looked up at her straddled over him, watching intently at her bouncing breasts as she thrust onto him. Suddenly, the dream became blurry and Artemis found it was disappearing into the bright light.

Artemis groaned as his eyes cracked open only to be partially blinded by the morning light. The images of his dream still danced in his mind. It was so real... he could almost _feel_ it.

_Phantom reaction to mental stimuli..._ he thought briefly before fully opening his eyes.

That thought was chased from his mind as he felt himself slammed into the bed, bouncing up slightly at the waist. The surprising movement had a curious effect on certain parts of his body. The force and sensation wretched him completely from his slumber, forcing him to open his eyes to investigate.

"Holly?" he said wearily as the image of a very naked Holly bouncing over him... in a similar fashion to his dream, became clear. _Wait..._ his brain finally kick started.

"Holly!" he gasped. He was now very awake and most certainly, though not disagreeably, surprised.

Holly smiled down at him. "So good of you to join the party." she purred as she thrust down harder. She reached behind her to massage the rest of his package, to which Artemis let out a strangled groan.

"Holly..._God..._What _are_ you doing?"

"I think it's pretty obvious. You know, this is more fun with _two_ active participants." she said, trying to drop him a hint.

Artemis caught the hint. He realized that the last time he had been in this position, his arms were restrained. Now he had free rein. Eyeing the small bouncing peaks in front of him, he placed his hands over them, reveling in the softness of her skin.

_Finally..._ she thought, as she pushed herself into his hands. She leaned down towards him, placing opened mouthed kisses down the center of his chest. As she sucked against his flesh, she realized she would be leaving marks but figured his clothes would cover them here. Plus, it was vital to keep her mouth occupied to keep her volume in check.

When she leaned forward to kiss him, his hands smoothed down her back, resting on her firm ass cheeks. Now, more awake, and certainly more aroused, Artemis bent his knees to get more leverage beneath her. He bucked under her, just once but forcefully enough that Holly was almost jostled off. Holly readjusted herself above him, gripping on to his sides to avoid tumbling. She looked down at him with a sly grin. "Yee haw." she said, mockingly.

Artemis laughed, genuinely, for the first time in nearly a month. He'd never, in his _adult_ life, (that being past 9 years of age) laughed until he met Holly. She was the brightest ray of light in his entire existence. And now he had her for the rest of his life. Nothing could possibly make him happier.

Holly began to laugh with him. When Artemis actually, honestly, laughed, it was infectious. It was a rare sound, and to know she was the reason now, she couldn't help but join in.

As Holly laughed, Artemis stopped... suddenly. The sensation was curious. Not unpleasant... But it certainly brought his mind back to the matter at hand. He looked back at her with a smug grin. "Hang on... _Cowgirl_".

Holly started to laugh again at his comment but stopped short when she found she really did need to hang on. Initially, she braced herself against his chest as he continued to buck into her, but she found the angle wasn't quite right. She leaned back against his bent legs, gripping them roughly from behind her, probably leaving fingertip imprints on him. His first thrust into her at this new angle was perfect, hitting all the right spots on the way in and penetrating deeply. Artemis must have approved as well. Any playfulness that had been in his voice was gone only to be replaced by grunts and a string of profanities.

"Fuck, Arty. I love hearing you... ahh... swear. It sounds so... wicked...ooh... coming from you." Her voice was husky as she spoke between moans.

That broke his resolve. He had initially intended to let her lead since she had instigated. He flipped them both over, putting her on the bottom. Before the room stopped spinning for her he had resumed plowing into her. Artemis grabbed her ankles and held them against his chest, gaining more depth, managing to completely sheath his cock inside of her. Holly's face scrunched together at the intense force he hit her with.

"Open your eyes, Holly." he rasped. "I want you to see… _I want you to see me fuck you_."

Holly eyes flew open in time to catch Artemis's dark expression. _Shit..._ She began to move against his thrusts all while strangling her cries by biting her fist.

Artemis dropped one of her legs, using his hand to rub quick, firm circles over her clit. One of Holly's screams escaped before she managed to regain control of her voice. As he stimulated her clit while hitting the sweet spot just above her inner ridges with the head of his cock, her walls began to clamp down. Positioning her other leg against his shoulder, he released that ankle too and pinched a pert nipple. Holly writhed and mewled beneath him. _Almost there..._

"Come on me, Holly. I want to feel you come on me." he growled out between gritted teeth.

"Ahh! Fuck, FUCK Artemis! Don't stop! I'm gonna come!" she screamed, far too loudly, before her walls spasmed around him and her juices came, squirting up at him with unusual force.

_Good God..._ he thought as he immediately came after her. He moved his arms to either side of her, locking his elbows so as to not crush her. After nearly a solid minute of gasping for air, he managed to pull out and lay down beside her. Holly propped herself up on her elbow and leaned in to kiss him gently on the lips.

As the two lay in a tangle of sheets and sweaty limbs, Artemis looked at her in dumb amazement. "Is this going to become a habit with you, Holly? Waking me this way? Not that I disapprove... but... I think I need to go back to sleep now." he huffed out as he rolled over.

"Don't you dare! Out now!" she started to shove against his hip with her heels, using her little, yet extremely strong legs to push him off the bed. Artemis succumbed, and slid to sit at the side of bed. Even if she was 3 feet tall, she could probably still whoop his ass. He rubbed his face in his hands before standing, slightly wobbly, and headed to the bathroom.

While Artemis was in the shower, Holly thought about what she should say to his family when she saw them next. _So, I'm moving in. I hope y'all are cool with that._ she thought, chuckling at herself. She was certain that Artemis would have something planned. Then, there was Juliet. Artemis had explained to her that any images that Kelp showed her were doctored to look far more dastardly than it was. Holly believed him... surprisingly, without question. Even if the images weren't doctored, it wasn't like she saw anything particularly incriminating. But Holly remembered Trouble saying after his conversation with Artemis in Juliet's presence, that he block wiped her so she had no fairy memories. After the raid on Spiro Tower, Juliet had never had experienced a recall. She moved to the United States and went to school and joined an amateur wrestling league. She spent her spring breaks in Mexico and rarely came home to Ireland. Artemis had kept her entirely in the dark about all his further escapades with the People. How was she going to react? Even though Holly really liked Juliet, and they even seemed to bond a bit back in Chicago, she'd be a strange mythical creature in her eyes today. She hoped Artemis's plan included addressing this issue.

Holly was ripped from her daydreaming when Artemis emerged, still naked, from the bathroom. He was holding a white towel, trying to dry his messy hair, now simply a damp version of the sculpture he went in to the shower with. Holly smiled at him as she crawled towards the foot of the bed.

"Did you want to shower?" he asked. "I left the water on and readjusted the heads for you. Maybe we'll do some remodeling in the bathroom, to make things a bit more accommodating for you." He sauntered towards the bed and looked at her, filled with love. Holly stood up on the covers, standing on tiptoes to make herself just a bit taller than him. She pressed her nude body against his, bending down to kiss him affectionately, and ran her fingers through his wet locks. He smoothed his hands up her bare legs, stopping only to grab two firm handfuls of her ass. Holly moaned loudly into his mouth... and just in that moment, the door blew open.

"ARTEMIS! I SWEAR I AM SO SICK OF YOUR WOE IS ME ATTITU-"

Juliet had burst through the door, determined to drag 'Emo Arty' from his cave, when she was treated to a visual she didn't know what to make of. A guttural, incoherent sound escaped her throat as she processed the scene.

Juliet's brain registered that Artemis was stark naked, but kissing a naked... child? _What kind of fucked-up shit is he..._ The 'child' clung to his neck, obviously startled, as her head spun over her shoulder at the intruder. It was then that Juliet's eyes noticed that, despite her stature, the dark-skinned female was no child. Not a child and... _those ears…_not human. _Wha…!_

Within the two seconds it had taken Juliet to compute this, Butler (with his eyes clamped firmly shut) tackled her from behind, dragged her out, and slammed the door. Holly and Artemis were frozen in place, staring at the entry. They listened to Juliet's eruption on the other side, it's volume rapidly decreasing as Butler urged her down the hall.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON, DOM?" she screamed at her big brother.

"We knock in this household, Juliet!" Butler scolded her.

"But! He's with a... um... _girl_?" Juliet's exclamation became a question.

Realizing what it may have looked like to her, since Holly was no bigger than the four year-old twins, Butler explained. "Holly may be petite, but she's actually older than Artemis. Juliet, listen to me, you've met her before. You just don't remember. Let Artemis explain things to you. Later."

The shuffling sound of their footsteps disappeared down the corridor. Holly looked back at Artemis. He had already recovered. He ducked out of her grasp, and walked towards his wardrobe. When his hands weren't occupied dressing himself, she noticed him gesturing and moving to some silent music. He was conducting his _plotting_ music. One of the many ticks Holly had noticed about Artemis. She wasn't to interrupt him when he was in this state. He'd come up with something genius. He always did.

Hopping down from the bed, Holly finally got into the shower. As soon as the water hit her body, a melodic sigh escaped as the massaging shower heads worked over her body. _Artemis doesn't do anything half-assed_ she thought, thinking about all the luxuries she'd enjoy. She really hoped she didn't become a spoiled, pretentious ass… like him. Then again, he was the only one in the family that was, so maybe it was possible to live in luxury and not turn into a snob. She'd always figured it was more his intellect that made him so pompous. But, she had to admit, he was getting better in recent years. She was slowly beating it out of him... sometimes literally.

Holly stepped out of the shower, barely managing to reach the faucet, even on tiptoes, to turn the water off herself. Artemis had left a towel on the counter which she wrapped herself in. Coming back into the bedroom, she found Artemis, his hair perfectly combed, wearing a black suit, of course. He sat at his desk clicking away on the keyboard to his PowerBook. She smiled slightly as she noticed that under his suit jacket, he wore a black shirt... and a black tie.

"You really do look good in all black, Arty." she smiled at him.

He smiled back at her, lightly. "I will have to take your word for that. I personally think I'm too pale for it. Like I'm either on my way to a funeral or about to suck someone's blood- either way there's coffins involved. But, if you like it…."

"Glad to hear it. Then I'll be seeing you in those jeans more often too." she smirked.

Artemis grumbled. _Jeans are for… ugh… common-folk._ "That will have to be negotiated."

Holly could think of a few things she could negotiate with... sex and violence. Maybe both. She laughed inwardly at the thought. Still, she had other things that needed to occupy her thoughts right now. "So, we're going to see your family and tell them... what exactly?" she asked.

"The family is easy. Be honest. Well, as honest as we can be. They don't need to know the details about the whole Partnering thing. It will be too complicated to explain to them. I think it will be best if I speak with them privately. In the meantime, I'd like you aid Butler in trying to trigger Juliet's recall. I spoke to Butler while you were in the shower. He's digging up all the old documents that triggered both his and my own memory recall. That, along with your physical presence, should be enough to reestablish her fairy memories. Perhaps… you could speak _convincingly_ to her, about this morning's intrusion?" he smiled suggestively.

"Yeah... I don't think I want her first solid memory of me reentering her life to be of me being nude with you. I'll _convince _her about the 'knocking' rule, too."

Artemis stood. "Very good. I'll join you as soon as I have finished with my parents."

Another thought hit Holly. "Oh shit! The window!" she gapped.

"Taken care of. Telekinetics Division took care of it while everyone was still asleep. It's as good as new. Maybe better."

"Thank God..." Holly sighed, returning to dressing herself. She sorted through her bag that Butler had left in the bedroom. She packed it really sloppily since she was trying to hurry. She had to pull almost everything out to get at her panties and bra since they had been the first thing she packed. As she stepped into her panties, she turned to look at him, ready to catch him ogling her ass again. She was curious when she saw what he was actually doing. He whispered under his breath as he solved some sort of equation in his head, looking around the room at the length of the walls.

"Arty, what are you doing?" she questioned.

"Hmm?" he responded, pulled from his own little world. "What was that?"

"What are you doing, right now?" she asked, now in both bra and panties. She placed her hands on her hips, a little annoyed that he wasn't living in the present.

"Oh. Rearranging the furniture." he answered. Of course, he hadn't lifted a finger to move any furniture, nor would he when he had decided where he wanted it. He was rearranging the _layout_ mentally.

"Why?" she asked, suspicious.

"To accommodate your furniture of course. You will need somewhere to store your clothing, won't you?"

Holly blinked as the comment threw her. She was _really _living here. This was _their_ bedroom. Reality was slowly sinking in, with each passing moment.

He walked over to her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He eyed her in only her bra and panties. He cocked an eyebrow at her as a dirty grin spread across his face. Holly smacked him against the leg. "Out!" she commanded. She turned and bent over to rifle through her bag for her jeans. Artemis didn't move, staring at her shapely little bum most appreciatively.

"I can feel your eyes on me. I told you to-"

"Fine, fine." Artemis sighed, defeated. He left, but not before smacking her hard on the ass.

Holly yelped out of surprise. She straightened to look at him, grabbing her stinging cheeks. He only grinned playfully at her.

"I'll meet you in the study." he called over his shoulder as he walked out.

* * *

Artemis scratched his chin as he went over possible reactions his parents would have. In a worse case scenario, they didn't approve - and they'd move elsewhere. It was his father's decision to have her move into the manor, though. After all, Artemis was still just considered a _Master_ in this household. Though he thought indignantly, _I'm 19 years old for goodness sake. That title belongs to my brothers._

Butler had already prepared breakfast and had it out on the breakfast counter with a stack of plates for the family to help themselves, a casual custom Angeline thought healthy. By the time Artemis had made it downstairs, his family was nearly finished with their meal. Artemis fixed himself a plate and sat at the table with his family. Immediately upon sitting, he looked back at his parents' expression, which were already curious. Here he had not said a word yet and they were already suspicious. He raised his eyebrows, skeptical of them, but still greeted him cordially.

"Good morning, mother, father." he said, nodding to each. "Boys." he acknowledged his brothers at the end of the table. Beckett was once again trying to get something from his hair, likely scrambled eggs… and Myles was smiling with silent mockery at him, in his usual way. They briefly turned away from each other to nod at their elder brother, who aside from one moody appearance when Juliet came home, they had hardly seen in over two weeks.

"Good morning, Arty." his father said finally, in a serious tone. "You're going for quite the look there, son." noting his dark attire.

"Yes well, it was not my choice. I'm sure, father, that you have, on occasion, allowed mother to select your clothing?" he smiled. Of course he knew that was true. As a 10 year-old, he had placed a bug on the aquarium in their suite. It picked up several things he _never_ wanted to hear. Artemis shivered at the memory.

Both his parents were confused by this response. They were in wonder, just seeing him join them at the table for a meal. He'd be a shut-in for almost three solid weeks, and refused to even speak with them. Now he seemed, normal. Or, as close to normal as Artemis could get. His attire seemed a bit odd, but then, it had been in flux since Holly had come to stay over that weekend that felt like so long ago now. His parents realized that Holly was the cause of his clothing choice then, but assumed something had happened between them and that was why he shut himself out. But this comment, hinted towards her or someone other female's involvement in his life.

"If it was not your choice, whom, may I ask, chose your clothing?" Angeline asked wary of his reaction to her prying question.

"Holly, of course." he answered, nonchalant.

His parents were even more startled by this answer. Angeline even made a small gasp and her hand fluttered to her heart. This got Myles focus back to their conversation.

"Has Holly come for a visit, then?" he inquired, like no 4 year-old should.

"Yes, Myles. Now, if you boys have finished eating, I would like a private meeting with mother and father. Would you kindly adjourn to the family room?" Artemis addressed his brothers with over formality, something he did unconsciously when he was nervous.

"Certainly." Myles rose from his chair and headed out, looking back at Beckett who was still rifling with the eggs in his hair, wondering how they got there. Artemis walked over to their seats and collected their plates. He placed them over in the sink and called Beckett over to him. Beckett admitted defeat for the time being and went to Artemis standing in front of the sink.

"Honestly, Beckett. You must learn to keep your food separate from your hair. Perhaps we should change your style to something shorter, more suitable to your… tendencies." Artemis spoke to his brother in a soft tone as he used a kitchen towel to clean out Beckett's hair. Beckett himself was a bit dumbfounded by his brother's sudden change in mood. He secretly wondered who this person was- because it was most certainly _not_ his brother.

"Thank you." Beckett said quietly as he stared up at his brother, puzzled.

"You're welcome. Now, if you don't mind." Artemis made a nod towards the door.

"Sure." Beckett joined Myles who had already made his way to the entry way of the kitchen to the hallway. They continued together towards the family room. Artemis could vaguely make out Beckett saying to Myles, "Do you think he's been abducted by aliens and replaced by a look-a-like?"

Myles's scoff was also audible. "You are a complete simpleton." This word was still a favorite of Myles's. At least now he could pronounce it properly.

Artemis rejoined his parents at the table. They appeared completely flabbergasted. Artemis frowned. "What?"

Although Artemis was 15 years older than his brothers, he rarely showed any sort of parental type qualities towards them aside from trying to nurture their intellect. This display of physical care from him was highly unusual.

"Nothing, Arty. What is it you wanted to speak with us about?" he father asked, once the boys were a safe distance away. "I'm assuming it involves Holly."

"You are correct, father. Holly and I have decided to be partnered, and without going into a detailed explanation of what that means to her race, I will simply reference that she is, in essence, my fiancé. Therefore, we've chosen to live together from this time forward. I realize that the decision of her residence here still lies with you, father. So, I would like to make formal request that she stay here with us all. She enjoys your company a great deal, as she is an only child, her family being taken from her at a young age. However, if you would prefer she not stay in the manor for whatever reason, I will respect your decision and be relocating elsewhere with her." Artemis calmly explained the situation with no hint of emotion, although he was actually extremely nervous. He suspected his parents wouldn't have a problem but lately their reactions were difficult to predict.

His mother's was a typical one. Her bottom lip began to quiver and the hand that she held at her heart now came up to cover her mouth. Her eyes became all glassy and as she spoke, she sounded choked up. "Oh Arty..."

Artemis smiled at his mother's reaction. It was one he hoped to receive. She approved of his choice. His father's was a bit off from his estimate.

"Am I getting this right, son? You're 'essentially' marrying an elf girl? Is that what I'm to understand here?" Artemis Senior said, sounding a bit stern.

Artemis sat up a bit more straight, standing his ground. "Yes, father. You are correct. And we mean to live together, here. What say you?"

"I have conditions." Artemis the First stated firmly.

"I will hear them." Artemis the Second responded firmly.

Angeline nudged her husband as she heard their exchange reverting back to the way he'd talk with his son before his abduction from the Russian Mafia. Overly formal. Like his own son was another member of his criminal connections to be dealing business with. An employee.

Artemis Senior ignored his wife's disapproval and pressed on. "There are two conditions. The first is that you will both act with discretion around the boys. They do not need to be further… _educated_ by your actions together." he said, raising an accusatory eyebrow.

Artemis nodded in response. "Understandable and acceptable. Your second?"

"You will sound proof your room. Sound travels far in this drafty old castle. We don't need to be constantly informed of your 'escapades', especially if we're going to be dealing with you as newly-weds, or what have you!" Artemis Senior's stern expression melted away to a jovial one. "Ah, Angeline. Remember those days?" he said fondly at his wife.

Angeline could not vocalize a response. She bolted from her seat and came around to embrace Artemis a tight hug. "Oh honey. I'm so happy for you."

Artemis smiled slightly at his mother's reaction, and hugged her back. But he was still wary. "So we have your blessing, just like that?"

"Well, obviously son, we have questions." his father sighed, "But you're an adult, and have the right to make your own decisions, especially regarding a spouse. I think I speak for both your mother and I when I say that we do feel you are a tad young... Though, we regretfully admit, due to both circumstances that surrounded your youth and the type of people we were when you were a child..." Artemis Senior sighed. "Your childhood was robbed from you, son. We both feel responsible for this. So, yes, you are young, but at the same time, you've been grown for some time now."

"Okay, so my age is of mild concern. I accept that. What other questions? If it's regarding her physical appearance, I do have a plan for that."

His father nodded. He was glad to hear this, though he was genuinely curious how he intended accomplish it. He'd ask again at a more convenient time. "Yes that is a concern, but not the first. Artemis, son. You have been baptized in the Catholic faith. As a scientist, I know you have your own beliefs, and I've certainly set a horrible example for you from the beginning as to what a Christian should be... But Arty, Your grandparents and aunts and uncles would not be pleased to hear of you living with a woman, without being joined before God's sight. It would be iniquitous in their opinion."

Artemis's shoulders sank. "So you wish that I marry her legally as well?"

"It would be prudent." his father replied.

Artemis pursed his lips. He was not certain about Holly's feelings regarding a human wedding. Of course, this was something that he wanted, but he was already asking so much of her. "Even if she is agreeable to the legal formalities, I am uncertain how she would feel about a ceremony… I will discuss the matter with her." Artemis promised, suddenly a touch uncomfortable. His bravado was faltering.

"Arty, sweetie?" his mother voice had that hopeful pleading sound that set him on edge.

"Yes?" he tried to stay composed but felt the worry creeping into him. He knew that tone in his mother's voice. He didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"Does this mean, well… might we be expecting grandchildren, in the future?" she asked. No doubt in her voice of what her hopes were.

_And there it is…_ Artemis thought. "Mum, Holly and I are not entirely certain about our genetic compatibility. In fact, she only reaches a fertile period once a decade, making natural conception rather difficult. Besides that, Mother, as you said, we're both so young. As a 19 year old human, I am barely beyond puberty and Holly is barely an adult herself, in her world. The issue of children has been shelved, for the time being."

Visibly disappointed, Angeline nodded.

"Very well. I thank you for your kind consideration. Holly and I shall join the family for lunch." Artemis stood, bowed respectfully towards his father, and left.

Artemis Senior smiled at his wife. "Looks like you're finally getting a daughter."

Angeline couldn't vocalize her feelings. She nodded and smiled as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

* * *

Holly munched away at the food Butler had brought into the study, but leaving the eggs. She didn't have anything against eggs... morally speaking. She just hated eating 'just eggs'. Something that used eggs in the recipe and disguised the flavor was completely fine to her. She ate the fruit and pastry type items from the array of food choices. _No longer LEP and now I'm eating like this... I'm gonna get fat SO quick..._ she scolded herself.

Butler reentered the room, this time, with Juliet. Juliet's expression was one of anxiety. She looked again at Holly, as if she were an alien. _Well, at least 'not human' would be a correct assumption._

"You're... Holly?" Juliet said to her, uncomfortably. She stayed against the far wall.

"Yes. What else do you remember?" Holly inquired, strolling towards her.

Juliet's eyes fluttered for a moment as she looked momentarily overwhelmed by something. "Uhh... you're not a human."

"Good. Anything else?"

Juliet shook her head. She probably hadn't actually remembered anything. Butler had told her Holly's name and it was very apparent that she was not human. Butler was now at the desk, loading the files on the computer.

"Here, Juliet." Butler called over to his sister to sit in the leather clad chair at Artemis's desk. She sat, and Butler played the first video. "This is the one he made for me."

Juliet watched it intently, marveling at the sequence of images that flashed before her eyes. She wanted to believe it was some sort of joke. But then the images of a 16 year-old version of herself came on the screen, wearing mirrored sun glasses that were so 80's. Why would she wear those? That had to be shop'ed. The next images were of her brother fighting some horrendous creature. Then, this 'Holly' person, trapped in the cellar. Then flying around the foyer! She leaned toward Holly, but kept her eyes on the screen.

"You can FLY?"

"Well, I could. They're mechanical. I don't have wings of my own if that's what you're asking." Holly explained.

Juliet continued to watch the videos. They seemed to her as if they were real. That she was supposed to know about this, but didn't for some reason. She could feel a dam in her brain being assaulted. She tried to break it down, hoping to reveal what it concealed.

The video ended. Juliet rubbed her temples as if she had a migraine. In fact, she did. She still couldn't get the memories to flow... but somehow, she knew they were there. Holly looked at her, hopeful.

"Anything?"

"I don't know... maybe? It seems like it should be there, but it's so hazy. Wait… don't you have another friend? Another... non-human, that I know? A male!" Juliet saw a fuzzy figure appearing in her mind but there was no name associated with the image.

"Uhm, Maybe Mulch? Butler, do you have any images of Diggums on there?" Holly asked.

"Oh yes... Unfortunately." Butler pulled up the images of Mulch both breaking into the safe room and 'incapacitating' Butler, and then, almost once again in the wine cellar. Juliet's eyes widened to the size of saucers. _This... this was familiar._

"Stinky." she whispered, in melancholic tone.

"Yes! He smells to high heaven! You're nickname for him was Stinky! What else have you got?" Holly shouted excitedly.

Juliet looked at Holly quizzically. "Artemis... _captured _you. Why are you here now? Didn't you escape?" she asked her.

"Yes. That was over seven years ago now. A lot has changed." Holly calmly told her.

Artemis entered the room and headed straight to Holly. "How are things going?" he asked her in hush tones.

"It's slow, but we're making progress. How did your conversation go?" she answered him, equally quiet.

"Good. We'll discuss it at a later time." He looked down at her fondly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Juliet gaped at this small display of affection then suddenly her memory of the brief images she saw this morning came flooding into her head. "Oh. My. Gawd. Artemis – this morning, you two were, you two are... I mean. Whoa."

Artemis frowned. "You didn't mesmerize her yet?"

"Nope. Let's take care of that, shall we?" The next words that came out of Holly's mouth were layered with alto and bass tones. _"Juliet. You did not see anything in Artemis's bedroom this morning, did you?"_

"Huh? Artemis's room... didn't see. There wasn't nothing to see. Cool trick, by the way." Juliet said in a dazed voice.

_"And from this day forward you will ALWAYS knock before entering a room, won't you?"_

"Yeah... totally. Knock… for sure. What a pretty voice. Like a whole choir..." she said, sleepily.

"Good." Holly spoke normally. "I'm glad we are on the same page."

Juliet shook her head and blinked hard, trying to clear herself from her stupor. "Things are starting to come back... I don't know. Maybe I just need more time." Juliet said as she tried to replace her real fairy memories into the places where her mind had filled the gaps. "Do you have anything else you can show me?"

Artemis looked at Butler. "Did you show her the file I made for myself?"

"No. I figured I'd wait for you. Is it all right?" Butler replied.

"Yes, of course. Anything that might help her." Artemis reached over her to load the file. An image of 13 year-old Artemis materialized onscreen. He leaned back in the very chair Juliet now sat in, cross legged, fingers steepled, complete with smug grin.

Holly couldn't help but watch. She was curious to know just how it was that Artemis could have spent hours with her, been chased around by trolls, and yet this simple video was what had triggered his total recall.

"_Greetings. How nice for you to see me. Doubtless, this will be the first intelligent conversation you have had for some time."_ the young Artemis recording said.

"Still true." the real Artemis said to his recording.

Holly looked up at him, slightly repulsed.

"What?" Artemis said, entirely unrepentant for his egotism.

The recording continued. _"I paused for a second there, to give you a chance to respond, thus qualifying this as a conversation."_

"You are fucking unbelievable." Holly said, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I hope I'm not _quite_ as obnoxious these days." Artemis smiled at her as the audio went on.

"No... I think I beat a lot of it out of you. You still got a ways to go, though." She gave him a playful punch in the thigh.

Artemis laughed as he rubbed his leg, but their playful banter was interrupted.

"Shh!" Juliet hissed as she listened intently. The images came flooding into her mind, reconnecting where they originally belonged, bringing with it serious disorientation. She remembered everything. The siege on the manor. The horrible troll that almost killed her, her brother, and Holly. _Holly_...

"Captain Holly Short." she addressed Holly.

"Yes! Amazing, you remember!" Holly jumped up and down like an excited child.

Juliet was still overwhelmed by everything. She looked up at Artemis. "The mirror contacts... because we couldn't wear the sunglasses, right?"

"Yes. Very good, Juliet."

Juliet's old memories of Holly and the fairy People crashed with her recent ones. Of course, she still had the memory of seeing them naked this morning safely repressed, but she still looked back at the two of them. They seemed, a bit more _familiar_ than just friends. Which they weren't, even that the last time Juliet had seen Holly.

"What's the deal with you two?" She asked, puzzled.

Artemis placed his hand on Holly's shoulder. To say she was his fiancé would be more accurate than to say she was simply his girlfriend. But he had not discussed anything regarding a human wedding with her. Juliet would not understand Partnering. "Holly and I are... together." he paused for her reaction but she just stared blankly at him. "She lives here now. With us."

It was almost visible as the light bulbs turned on in Juliet's head. "You're a... couple?" she asked, incredulous.

Both Holly and Artemis nodded in affirmation.

Juliet cradled her throbbing head. "I think I need to lie down…"

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Yay! Juliet's in the loop! I've got some funny stuff with Juliet in the next chapter. Lots of big stuff happening in the next 2 chappy's so make sure to review so that I will post them. Thank you to all who do review... I live for your feedback and praise. :) Thanks again to my editor for spending hours on each chapter making them slightly more witty and definitely more coherent. **


	15. Proposal

**A/N: Sorry to my smut lovers that this is a lemon-free chapter but that doesn't mean I think you'll love it any less. The plot is really kicking into high gear now so I hope you all like it. I re-wrote this chapter, like, 4 times. Writer's Block can be a total bitch. **

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl, no copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Butler escorted Juliet out of the study and back to her bedroom. Her memories would need time to settle in. Artemis waited until both of them left before taking the seat at his desk. He entered his passwords (as there were multiple), to access his E-mail. Holly gave him his privacy and went to sit by the fireplace.

"Hmm." Artemis said after a minutes' time.

"What?" Holly turned to ask but Artemis continued to stare at the monitor.

"Giovanni Zito has apparently shipped me a 'present' to show his gratitude for my recent investments in his current project. I can't imagine what he would send me. Especially something that would require being sent as freight. It is apparently en-route." Artemis explained, rather disinterested.

"Well, that was nice of him... to give you something, I mean." Holly replied, simply trying to find the polite response.

"I suppose, but unnecessary." Artemis muttered under his breath as he continued to type away on the keyboard. "Ah! Found it! Foaly... you sly devil." Artemis proclaimed triumphantly.

_Foaly?_ "What is it?" Holly asked, genuinely curious now.

"Come here, love." Artemis motioned for her to join him. Holly walked towards him, to stand beside him. Artemis turned and picked her up, putting her on his lap. Holly was about to protest but was interrupted when he told her his intent. "The camera won't pick you up down there, Holly."

Artemis clicked away until a video chat window popped up. Foaly's image was inside.

"About time you found that back door, kid. I've been waiting all morning for you. I can't leave this open long... I'm at Section 8 HQ right now. I got your guy here too. But he's stepped out for a minute. He should be back any time... Hi, Holly. You doing good? Hey- What happened to Kelp's office? There's rumors going around that you two did _something_ to it but no one will spill..." his voice suddenly sank as he remembered the bite mark on Holly. "I hope it's not what I think it is..."

Neither Artemis or Holly could contain the shit-eating grins that spread across their faces, proclaiming proudly their guilt.

"Oh...guys!" Foaly reeled, disgusted. "I agree, he deserved no less. Still, couldn't you have thought up something else?"

"It was Holly's idea." Artemis said in a guiltless manner.

"WHAT? You were the one that suggested _both_ acts that took place! Don't you dare try to pin this one on me!" Holly shouted as she smacked Artemis on the arm. Even Foaly recoiled at the volume level screeching through his speakers. Just as Holly was about to deliver another blow to Artemis, they heard a familiar voice in the background.

"Oh, you finally got them?"

"Yeah. They're both here. You stay there. I'll redirect the camera." Foaly said.

The view of the camera swung through the Ops Booth of Section 8 to settle on the small demon warlock. "Hey, lovebirds." No.1 teased them.

Normally, Artemis would protest to the jeering, but as Foaly had mentioned earlier, this line wouldn't remain open long. They needed to discuss the matters at hand. "Hello, No.1. I trust you are well." Artemis hurried through the formalities to get their discussion underway. "I have promised Holly that you would speak with us both, directly, about proceeding further with the plan."

"Yes, certainly. The first step, we need to infuse Artemis. This can only be done by _yours truly_ and would probably yield the best results if we wait until a full moon." No.1 proclaimed with pride.

"Agreed. May 27th is the next full moon." Artemis rattled off the date as if he had the moon's cycle memorized. Of course, he didn't. He had already reached this conclusion and looked at the calendar ahead of time… many times.

"Uh, right..." No.1 said, surprised by his eagerness. "So, once that's done, we may have to wait a minimum of another lunar cycle before we could go through with the Partnering. It will depend on how well you manage to integrate the power into you, Artemis. Of course, Holly, you should complete the Ritual while I work with Artemis."

"Couldn't you just infuse me too, like before?"

"I could... but I think it would be best if you had your own natural magic in you. Remember, _demon _warlock partnerings haven't been done in over 10,000 years and never with a human... it's best if we do as much as possible by the book." No.1 explained.

Holly nodded in response.

"You two know, I've never done anything remotely close to this before, right?" No.1 said, very serious.

"Thanks for the confidence boost." Holly said sarcastically.

"Holly, I just hope you are aware of all the all the possible consequences."

"Maybe we should go over those again?" Holly answered. Her nerves were evident in her voice.

"Well, I think you know about the effects to your life span. I had told Artemis it was really a best guess that you could both make it to 800. You'll need to keep your magic up. Also, you know your bodies may undergo a physical change. I'll be mixing you two together and you're not the same species. It's never been done. I can't really promise what the results will be. Artemis already has a small fraction of elf in him and it didn't affect him really because the physical characteristics of human genes are more dominant than fairy, that's why all the hybrids look like pure humans. It's because of that Holly, I assume you'll be effected the greatest. Your physical appearance, I mean."

Holly swallowed hard. Her voice came out sounding strained. "How so?"

"Well, I imagine you'd take on human characteristics, but that would probably be a good thing since you're living with humans on the surface. It's better than getting plastic surgery and shin extensions, right?" No.1 tried to sound optimistic.

"I suppose." Holly muttered. Her nerves were giving her butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to be partnered with Artemis. But her physical make-up being altered in an unknown way made her understandably anxious.

"Holly. This is your call. I'm not going to ask you to do anything you don't feel comfortable with." Artemis said quietly, to her only.

Holly shook her head. "No, it's fine." she dismissed him.

"You two realize we're making history here, right?" No.1 said, full of excitement.

"We usually are." Artemis replied, smug as usual.

"Okay guys, gotta cut you short. I'll make sure we stay in touch." Foaly announced.

"Please do. Let's make plans to proceed with Phase One on the 27th, then."

"Sure, Artemis. I'll call you before then. Take care." No.1 waved as the video feed was cut.

Artemis turned Holly around on his lap to face him. He looked at her with concern. It was obvious she was nervous. She refused to make steady eye contact and gnawed away on her bottom lip.

"Holly. I _must_ know what you are thinking. Right now." he demanded in a stern tone.

Holly tried to rationalize her emotions, or even verbalize them for Artemis. It wasn't an easy task. "I... um... was just thinking. You know, about… being changed."

"We don't have to do this, if you're not comfortable with it. We could look into something else -"

"No! That's not it! I'm just feeling a bit… overwhelmed. My life is changing so suddenly _and_ so drastically. It's just hard to keep up. I don't want you to think it's not what I want, because that's not the case! I'm just... nervous, I suppose."

"Holly." Artemis started, his tone warm. "I know you've made a lot of extreme changes recently. So please let me know if there is something I can do to make you feel more comfortable. If you even want to wait to go through with the Partnering, that's fine too." Artemis ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her.

"No! NO! Look! I just need like a few days to process everything and I'll be fine, okay?" she protested.

_Always so stubborn..._"Fine, Holly. We've got weeks in the meantime, so if you change your mind..."

"I WON'T! Artemis, can we talk about something else, or go do something?" Holly was starting to get unnecessarily angry and she knew it.

Artemis sighed. "Of course. What would you like to do?"

"I don't know... It's nice out. Let's go for a walk."

Artemis set Holly down from off his lap and stood to leave the study. As they walked out the door into the corridor, Artemis stopped at the first door on the left. "Holly. This is where I was thinking of putting your office. The windows are south facing and it's right next to my study so we'll be close by. Unless you'd prefer another room."

Holly looked at him slightly puzzled. "_My_ office?"

"Yes. You'll need a space to work from. It's just an unused guest room right now..." Artemis opened the door, revealing an enormous bedroom, at least the size of his own, but the furnishings had been covered in white sheets. "Of course I'll have to order you some office furniture. Whatever you need. Have you given any thought to what you might like to do?"

Holly was a bit dazed. Having a surface job... but not for the LEP. Anything she wanted to do. She could work from home, where Artemis would be. It sounded very appealing. "I'm not certain what I'd like to do. Maybe something in conservation?" she looked at him pleadingly.

Artemis nodded. "Yes that's what I would have picked you for. My mother can start you up with her contacts to see what area you'd like to pursue. Of course, if that doesn't tickle your fancy, you can always work with me in thrilling world of investment finance." he smiled wryly at her.

"Riveting." she said flatly. "I guess I'll speak with your mom. I don't have to start up right away, right? I mean, I only _just _quit. I haven't taken vacation in at least five years." Holly objected.

Artemis looked stunned. "Five years? Good God, Holly! That can't be healthy. And no, you don't have to start at all if you don't want to. I am simply trying to keep you happy and active. I believe you'd get bored quickly if you're not occupied. You might even resort to criminal activities, simply for the thrill." Artemis couldn't suppress a chuckle at this last statement.

"Ha-Ha." Holly gave him a sarcastic laugh.

Artemis and Holly walked the grounds, hand in hand, though mostly in silence. Occasionally, Artemis would ask Holly what she wanted her surface life to be like. Each time, Holly answered truthfully. "I guess I haven't given much thought about the specifics."

Artemis was running out of things to talk about with her. Here they hadn't even been living together for 24 hours and already he was boring her. He _did _have some things he wanted to talk to her about, and they were quite alone outside. Still, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. "Holly, may I ask you something that's been on my mind?"

Holly narrowed her eyes at him. She got wary whenever Artemis asked to ask _before_ asking. It was never a good sign. It meant it was a very personal question... one that he himself wouldn't want asked of him.

"Go ahead, Arty. I know something's been eating at you."

She was right of course. But how to word this? "Well, Holly," he cleared his throat as his nerves started to become evident in his voice. "I was just curious to know... and please tell me honestly, regardless of how you think I'll react... well," Artemis averted his gaze from her and started to pick off non-existent lint from his jacket... another one of his ticks.

"Artemis. Spit. It. Out." Holly demanded, annoyed.

_Christ... What a thing to ask. _"Did you enjoy... Trouble Kelp's companionship? I mean, I know you were friends and co-workers. What I mean is, did you enjoy being... _with_ him, _romantically?_" Artemis stumbled through his question, sounding very vague.

Holly gave him a small smirk as she saw the blush deepening against his alabaster skin. "You are either asking me if I loved Trouble, or if he was good in the sack. Which is it?"

Artemis's perfectly shaped eyebrows knitted together with nerves. "Maybe... both?" he finally admitted.

Holly couldn't help but let a small laugh escape, despite Artemis's apparent discomfort. For his sake, she collected herself quickly. "Arty." she said very seriously, taking his other hand. "I _will_ tell you honestly. But you must promise not to overreact."

Artemis audibly swallowed and the worry became even more evident in his face. Still, he gave her a stiff nod in confirmation.

"Trouble was a terrible lover. I promise you I'm not just telling you that for your own self-esteem."

Artemis let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, but accepted that she was being honest with him, and was more than a bit relieved by her answer.

"As far as being in love with him, I do think I loved him on some level. He stood up for me, encouraged me, comforted me when things were bad. He was my best friend at one point. I think I loved him more like family, though. Maybe like an older brother. Even though we had been intimate a few times, it never felt right to me. If you're worried that I was in love with him the same way as I love you, and somehow fell out of love with him and it may happen with us... don't. I never loved him the way I do you."

Artemis was more than happy to hear that but still couldn't get himself to smile. Part of her statement still echoed in his ears. "How many is 'a few times'?"

"Artemis, why does this matter?"

Artemis huffed. "Holly. I have _nothing_ to compare my experiences with. _You do._ It's a bit unsettling." His tone was very defensive.

Holly nodded in understanding. It had been less than two months since he lost his virginity to her. She smirked inwardly.

"Artemis, do you really want to hear all about this?" she asked skeptically.

"It matters to me. But if you're not comfortable..." he trailed off.

"Okay. If you want to hear it. It's important that we share and be honest with each other, right?" she smiled at him. "Okay, so it was a total of four times. None were enjoyable. The first time was 'the' first time- for both of us, and it was awkward and stiff. It also only lasted all of two minutes and I was not 'fulfilled.'" she chuckled at her choice of words. "The second time, he was comforting me over the loss of my dad. Things got out of hand. Let's just say, it's hard to enjoy sex when you're bawling your eyes out."

A small smile started to spread across Artemis's face. It was refreshing that they could be this honest with one another. He had never felt this type of openness with anyone in his life. Not even Butler.

"The third time, we were bored and he sorta pressured me into the idea. That one actually turned out to be the best of the four experiences but even it would only rate mediocre at best. Then the last time... we were both drunk and I don't really remember quite clearly but I seem to remember laughing at him for having some 'difficulty'. Playing pool with a rope!" Holly burst into a fit of laughter. After she finally caught her breath, she continued. "That's it. All four experiences took place within just as many months. So you have him beat in quality _and_ quantity. Are you satisfied?"

Artemis smiled, embarrassed. "Yes. Thank you, Holly. For sharing... and being honest." he said meekly.

Artemis and Holly talked about less serious topics as they walked out to the front gate and then back again. Occasionally, Artemis would look around the grounds and make a disapproving groan or tsk. After the third time, Holly had to know what he was thinking.

"What is it?" she said, exasperated.

"Holly, you should have seen this place when I was the twins' age. It was glorious. Now it is a wild forest. I'm going to need to speak with father. Our economic state has improved substantially in the last three years. All we've had as far as a gardener is a contracted company that mows the grass and weeds the driveway. This place needs a landscape overhaul." Artemis complained.

Holly just smiled at him. There was a part of her that did honestly feel bad from his that his family had lost their billionaire status nine years ago and it certainly did affect Artemis. The other part of her wanted to smack him...the Fowls were still filthy rich. She mused how funny it would be to see him try to live like a commoner, even for a day.

As they entered the manor, Artemis held Holly's hand up and kissed it gently. He looked at her beautifully mismatched eyes and smiled warmly at her. "You are my best friend, Holly. You have been for many years now. Thank you. You have saved my family, my life, and now you've given me friendship and love. I hate to think of the person I would be today if you never entered my life... if I'd even be alive." he whispered to her.

Holly just smiled bashfully. _How do I respond to that?_ A lot of the time, Artemis acted smug, arrogant and spoiled. But every now and then, he was truly… charming. It sometimes made her a bit uncomfortable. She was unfamiliar with this chivalrous behavior. The nicest thing Trouble ever did for her was punch someone who was coming on to her. Otherwise, she was always treated as 'just one of the boys'. Artemis made her feel... _girly_.

"Thank you, Arty. You're my best friend too. And yes, I do believe you'd be dead by now. I'm sure someone would have 'offed' you before you hit fourteen." she smiled playfully at him.

"No doubt... the road I was on." Artemis shook his head in mild disgust as he remembered the person he used to be before Holly. "Come. Let's have lunch."

* * *

Trouble left Police Plaza after 'cleaning' his office. His access codes had already been changed so he couldn't do anything to get into his computer files. Once he had everything in some sort of order, he went directly to the locker room showers, thoroughly disinfecting himself.

Still wet from the shower, he rifled through his things to find his personal communicator. He dialed for Lili, to see how she was doing. Her father answered. Trouble swallowed loudly enough that it was picked up by the receiver. "Is Lili available, please?" he asked cordially. Of course, the caller ID would show his name. General Frond would not be happy to see he was calling.

"Kelp. You have some nerve. Do you know they let my little Lili flower go because of _you?_" he spat.

"I just heard that news myself, sir. I was calling to check on her, to see if there was anything I could do."

"I think you've done enough, Kelp! If you have no honorable intentions towards her, then stay the hell away from my daughter!" the General growled.

Trouble sighed. Maybe he could undo at least one wrong in someone's life he'd fucked up recently. "No sir, my intentions are only honorable. You are most likely aware of the situation involving your daughter and I, and I do not wish any dishonor for her. That is why it is my intent to court her... p-properly. W-with your p-permission, sir."

General Frond was of the 'old-school' thinking. He was aware of the situation between his daughter and Trouble and he had violated her in his mind. In his opinion, the only way to make amends for stealing something, is to admit you stole it then properly purchase it. With Lili's affair being so public, she had no hopes of obtaining a rich male now. The Commander was a good officer... obviously had some issues. Still... pensioned…

"It is acceptable. You may join the family for dinner tonight. 7:00 p.m. You will _not_ be late."

The line went dead. Trouble stared disheartened at the phone. _Great... what did I just do?_

* * *

Artemis walked into the kitchen with Holly's hand in his. Everyone was at the table and Butler was already setting the table. Both of the boys, as well as Artemis Senior's faces all lit up with glee at the sight of Holly back in Artemis's life, and therefore their own. Angeline sighed and looked as if she were repressing emotions from spilling out of her.

Holly instantly felt uncomfortable. What had Artemis said to his family so far? They were acting... weird. She felt as if there was something she didn't know. She made a point to stay very quiet and simply observe.

Butler had made a platter of different sandwiches for lunch, most of which were egg or cold cuts. He handed Holly her 'veggie-only' sandwich to which she smiled meekly at him. "Thanks. Sorry about the special requests."

"Holly," Artemis Senior asked, trying to cut the tension, "Are all elves vegetarians, or is that a personal preference?"

"No, just me. My mom was one too. Most of my friends at the LEP enjoyed getting greasy burgers at this place across the street. There's also a really popular dish amongst my people known as 'vole curry'. It's definitely not my style. I have had it before. I just prefer not to eat something that could talk." Holly explained.

"So true, dear. We should all make changes in our diet." Angeline professed. Both Artemis I and II scowled at her, unwilling to relinquish meat from their diet.

"Holly? Are you going to live with us now?" Beckett abruptly asked her.

Holly looked nervously at Artemis who only smiled back at her. She took that as confirmation that he had addressed this issue with his parents and they had given consent. Otherwise, Artemis would have jumped in to answer his brother's question. At least, she hoped he would.

"I believe so, Beckett." She could finally tell the two of them apart now. Myles was always prim and proper, like Artemis. Never a hair out of place. Beckett usually _had _something _in_ his hair.

"Cool." he responded. Artemis narrowed his eyes disapprovingly at the uncouth expression.

"Arty, have you and Holly spoken regarding _all_ the conditions we spoke about?" Artemis Senior asked his son.

Artemis immediately diverted him. "Father, I was wondering about restoring the grounds to their original glory…" and he went into a lengthy description of the improvements and repairs needed. His father agreed heartily, and forgot his question entirely.

Holly looked at Artemis questioningly. There was something that his parents asked him to speak to her about that he never mentioned. She tried not to get irritated. They were past keeping secrets, so hopefully he was going to tell her soon. Though, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of him hiding something still.

The rest of the meal passed mostly in silence. Juliet had not joined them. Butler had informed the family that she had a headache, and would be laid up for the rest of the day. Holly wondered if maybe she should visit her later... to make sure all the memories were settling in.

After the meal, Artemis and Holly excused themselves and walked upstairs together. He stopped outside the bedroom and turned to speak with her. "Holly, I actually do need to get a few things done this afternoon. My last few weeks have been rather... unproductive. Perhaps you'd like to read, or relax with the family in the mean time?"

Holly knew she couldn't hang off Artemis's hip constantly. Still, she couldn't 'relax' with his family in his absence. "Yeah, I'll be in the library... if you're looking for me."

Artemis smiled approvingly. "Very good. I shouldn't be long." He kissed her forehead before leaving for his study.

Holly scratched her head..._Where's the library again?_

Holly wandered through the hall, forgetting the layout of the manor entirely. She walked past a door she knew to be a bedroom and heard music coming from it. Rock music. Holly approached the door and knocked. It could only be one person.

"C'mon in" Juliet bellowed over the music.

Holly opened the door to see Juliet in a small pink t-shirt that showed off her sculpted mid section and denim cut off shorts, 'rockin' out' to her music. She suddenly stopped when she saw it was Holly who had walked through the door. _Some headache... _Holly thought, sarcastically.

"O.M.G.! Holly! I can totally not believe that your people wiped _you_ from my mind! How on earth could I have forgotten you, girl!" She extended her arms to invite her into a hug. Holly warily obliged, slightly worried she might get crushed by this amazon. Juliet didn't fail. She wrapped her arms around Holly's small frame, picking her up in the air and spun her around twice.

After setting her back down, Holly wobbled on her feet, dizzy. "I'm really happy you've remembered me, Juliet."

"Yeah totally. So I'm outta the loop for what? six years? And now you two are? Well, what are you two?" Juliet inquired about the most puzzling part of this morning's revelations. Holly and Artemis had gone from enemies to something much closer.

Remembering the choice words Artemis had for her earlier, she simply repeated them. "We're together."

"Ya, okay. But, are you two like... EE-er EE-er…?" Juliet's squeaky sound effect accompanied a gesture that involved her left hand shaped into an 'o', whilst the right hand pointed a stiff index finger in and out of said hole. Holly caught the meaning immediately and flushed red. She couldn't look her in the face as she responded.

"Umm... yeah." she said, very embarrassed.

"OH... MY GAWD!" Juliet squee'd. "So, how does that like, work for you two? You're kinda different sizes, right? I mean, like, you're an elf... does everything even still fit? Like, are you even built the same as a human down there?"

Holly squirmed at her questioning. "Juliet… There's still a '_slot B'_ for his '_tab A'_ if that's what you mean, and we've managed to make things 'work'. My _anatomy_ is strikingly similar to yours. Enough on the topic, please." Holly explained, very uncomfortable.

Juliet couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles at Holly's description. "Okay, okay. I'm just... surprised, that's all."

Juliet and Holly talked right into the evening about what their lives had involved over the past six years they hadn't been with each other. Holly loved how animated Juliet became when telling a story. She demonstrated every wrestling move she had used to win a match. Juliet marveled at the stories Holly told her about Opal Koboi, saving Hybras from Limbo and then going back in time. Occasionally she'd insert a comment like, "So that's why he still looks so young at 19." or "I wondered what the heck was up with his eyes."

After some time had passed, the girls heard a knock on the door. Juliet called out, "Who is it?" unsure if it was her brother or not.

"Juliet, is Holly in there with you?" It was Artemis. Of course he'd be looking for her. She was supposed to be in the library.

"I'm here." Holly called out as she hopped off the bed.

Artemis opened the door to allow Holly to come to him. Juliet was sitting on her bed, showing far more skin then Artemis felt comfortable with. He immediately averted his eyes from her, focusing on Holly. "We've missed dinner. Do you want anything from the kitchen?" he asked her.

"Really? What time is it?" Holly asked, confused. She came into Juliet's bedroom not too long after lunch. How long were they yakking?

"9:45" Artemis informed her.

"What?" Holly shouted. How on earth did she spend _eight hours_ talking away? They did have six _years_ to catch up on... but still, _eight hours..._

"No, I'm not hungry actually. I am thirsty though." Holly told him. Her throat had become hoarse from the time spent talking.

"I'll get you a bottle of water. Juliet, can I get you anything?" Artemis called out to her, making sure he looked at her only in the face.

"I'm good, thanks though... Tab A." she busted into a fit of laughter. Even Holly couldn't suppress her laughter entirely as a few giggles escaped.

"I'm sorry?" Artemis asked, very confused.

His bewildered expression made them laugh all the harder. When Holly caught her breath, she finally managed to choke out, "It was good catching up with you, Juliet. I'll see you in the morning." She waved over her shoulder as she exited her room. Artemis was still very puzzled.

Once they got back to their bedroom, Artemis addressed her. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"Nothing you want to know about." she huffed out, still a bit breathless from her giggle fit. Artemis frowned at her, not liking being left out of the joke, though apparently being the butt of it.

Holly suddenly remembered how he had diverted his father's question at lunch. She wanted to know if he'd speak to her about whatever his parents' requests were for them. "Hey, what was your dad talking about at lunch? Why'd you change the subject when he asked you if we had 'talked'?"

"Oh. Just a few requests. Nothing major. It will involve us temporarily getting out of our room for about a week or so, while renovations take place."

"Renovations? I hope you're not going to go and make things small for me, I might have some freak growth spurt after the Partnering."

"No, Holly. We have been requested… to sound proof our room." Artemis smiled at her.

"Oh gods, that's so embarrassing." Holly moaned.

"It's okay, love. Once the room is sound proof, you can scream all you like. And I intend to make sure that you do." he smirked at her.

Holly gave him a sheepish smile, still mortified that a request like that would even have to be made. She let out a giant sigh before announcing that she was going to get ready for bed.

As Holly went through her nightly routine in the bathroom of washing her face and brushing her teeth, she mused about how an extra few inches wouldn't be so bad. She was still dragging the chair over from the vanity to use the sink. Once she had finished, she replaced the chair and went back into the bedroom. Artemis was sitting up in bed, in his silk boxers, with his PowerBook on his lap. Artemis peered up at her from above his monitor. He motioned over to the side table where he had placed a bottle of Irish spring water. "I got you your water."

"Oh. Thank you." Holly said as she climbed on to the bed, grabbing the water and guzzling it down. "What are you working on, Arty?"

"My diary, and no, you may not read it." he said, never looking away from the computer or pausing his typing while he spoke.

Holly smiled. Artemis wasn't the first guy she knew to keep a diary. Trouble had a journal he wrote in while they were in the academy. Holly imagined that his entries weren't nearly as lengthy or complex as Artemis's. Even though Artemis typed faster than she thought was humanly possible, he still took a solid ten minutes to finish his entry. While he worked on that, Holly settled into bed. Apparently, they had already established 'sides', with Artemis sleeping on the side of the bed closer to the door and his desk, and Holly closer to the window. He knew she liked to watch the moonlight.

Finally finishing, Artemis closed his laptop and placed it on the side table. "Holly, are you still awake?"

"Hmm, yeah. Not for long though." Holly mumbled while her eyes remained closed.

"Holly. I need to talk to you about something."

"'Kay. What?" she responded, still sleepy sounding.

"Well, I know the People don't have a specific religion per se, that you are respectful towards nature and do believe in a higher being... Umm... " Artemis stumbled through his words. This was enough to make Holly suspicious. Artemis was an eloquent speaker. 'Umm' was not part of his regular vocabulary. Holly sat up in the bed and blinked at him, concerned.

He continued. "So, you know my family is Christian. Catholic, specifically. And well, Catholics have certain beliefs and customs around relationships. I mean, _this_ type of relationship."

"You want me to convert?" Holly asked, reaching the wrong conclusion. She was trying desperately to figure out what he wanted to say. It was so unlike him to stumble through his words. She had only heard him like this on a handful of occasions. The last time was that afternoon when he asked about her relationship with Trouble. The time before that was when he was trying to tell her he loved her for the first time. His uncharacteristic awkwardness could only mean he needed to say something very personal.

"No, no. Well, maybe. I mean, I obviously wouldn't ask you to change your beliefs. I myself am not exactly an altar boy. I'm sure you probably know enough about Christianity to know that stealing, lying and fornication are sins." He forced a smile at her. He knew he shouldn't be nervous about asking her about this. Yet, he couldn't seem to get the words out. He'd already taken so much from her. It seemed ridiculously greedy to ask for anything more. He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Never mind. Another time." he said, resigning to shelve the topic. He lay down, preparing for sleep.

Holly was completely baffled by his behavior. She tried to dissect his words, finding the meaning behind them. He was Christian, they were _fornicating_, and that was a sin... "Artemis, are you feeling guilty?" she asked. That was an unlikely notion, to think he felt liable to a God he never fully acknowledged existed, while he broke man's laws practically on a daily basis.

"Guilty? No. I probably should be, but... no. Far from it." Artemis admitted.

_Okay, so that's not it. It was a long shot to begin with._ Holly tried to get back at what he wanted to say to her. "Artemis, I'm not a genius, nor have I been raised a Christian. Please tell me what is bothering you."

"Holly." Artemis replied, sounding pitifully exasperated, "My parents don't want us 'living in sin'. It's immoral in their eyes."

Holly, once again, reached the wrong conclusion. "Us being together is a 'sin'? They don't want us to live together?" she asked, audibly distressed.

"No, Holly. It's just that, we should be married, like they are." Artemis finally managed to explain.

_"Oh..."_ she said as realization hit. Holly wasn't sure how she felt about that. Even though she was going to be his partner, something about being _married,_ she had disapproving feelings towards. Humans never stuck with it, it seemed. Her parents weren't married _or_ partnered so no importance was ever placed on it when she was growing up. Without a partnership, she'd always felt marriage was rather pointless, and only complicated matters when couples eventually split. She thought of Foaly and Caballine. They were married, and now look at them. But that was pretty much all Foaly's fault, she reasoned. As these thoughts raced through her mind, Holly remained entirely silent, never revealing any of her feelings.

Artemis watched her expression change from surprised acknowledgement to one of disdain. She apparently wasn't keen on the idea as she wasn't jumping up and down like he imagined most women would be when they were asked to get married. Then again, it wasn't like he exactly proposed or anything. It was appearing like it was probably best that he didn't. "Holly, I told you earlier today. We don't do anything unless you're comfortable with it. If my parents take issue with our decisions, then we move. It's as simple as that."

Holly knew Artemis well enough that she could hear the words he wasn't saying in his remark. She could tell this _was_ something he wanted. Still, it seemed like a rather unnecessary step. They would already be partnered. You can't get more committed than that. But she tried to be understanding of his culture as he was of hers. "If we get married, what changes?" she asked, skeptical about his words not matching his feelings.

Artemis thought about it. "Nothing... really. Our tax status." he chuckled. "Nothing changes between you and I, if that's what you're asking."

"Then why bother?"

She was right. There really wasn't much logic in the decision. They knew they'd be committed to one another to a far higher degree than any married couple would be. And making drastic choices based on other's wishes was not something that Artemis ever did. Still, having his parents approval was important to him, and he always imagined that he would one day get married to the woman he loved. But if she didn't want to, then she didn't want to. He wouldn't press the issue. Holly would still be his partner, his mate. _Wife_ was not a title she needed to have.

"You're right, Holly. It's pointless. Old tradition and redundant legality. I don't mind. You've already given me far more than I could ever have hoped for. I promised my father that I'd at least address the topic with you. I'll let him know your decision tomorrow. Goodnight, dear." He leaned forward to kiss her chastely on the lips before turning out the bedside lamp.

Holly sensed the disappointment in his voice, even though he hid it well enough that she almost didn't pick it up. Almost. She leaned over him, looking him in the eyes. In a knowing tone, she did everything she could to pry it out of him. "You want this."

Artemis sighed. "Holly, it doesn't matter. I told you not to worry about it."

"You're not answering the question." Holly said with growing annoyance.

Artemis was silent. He just stared back at her, wishing for telepathy to express what words were failing him on.

Holly's gaze bore into him. "Tell me that _you_ want this, 'yes' or 'no'." she demanded.

Artemis swallowed hard, his Adam's apple visibly bobbed in his neck as he looked at her with an anxious expression. He looked away when he finally did answer, and his response was barely audible. "Yes… Yes, I want this."

Holly's hard expression softened. "If you wanted to get married, why didn't you ask me?"

Artemis returned to sitting up, facing her. "Because... Holly, you have already made too many sacrifices on my behalf. Relationships are supposed to be about giving _and_ receiving, yet all _you_ do is give, while _I_ take. You're already agreeing to partner with me, despite the negative effects to you. You've left your job, your home, your friends...your life. All to be with me. How could I possibly tack on the request of a human marriage?"

"Is that how you see it, Artemis? That _all_ I've done is give? Because I see that I now live in a beautiful home and can have just about anything I want materially. I've been given a family of parents and siblings whom I love and love me in return. I now have the rare opportunity live on the surface, something very few fairies have and just about every single one desires. Most of all, I have the love and companionship of my best friend. We're living on the surface in a human world. We should live by human customs. Why would you think I would automatically decline your request for marriage?"

Artemis was speechless. He slid off the bed, pulling her to the edge. Holly's breath caught in her throat as he dropped onto one knee. She slipped down and stood before him, leaning on the bed for support.

"_Would_ you marry me?" He was honestly inquiring about her opinion on the matter, before making the request.

Holly smiled at him warmly. "Of course I would, Arty. I love you."

Artemis just stared at her, completely bewildered for almost an entire minute while he assessed if his heart was about to burst. Holly managed to snap him out of it when she gently placed her hand on his cheek. Artemis took the small hand and began to play with her fingers. Looking down at her hand in his own, he swallowed hard again before speaking. "Holly. _Will_ you marry me?" He fidgeted with her fingers as he spoke, clearly trying to contain his emotion.

Holly watched as he played with her fingers. She was a little surprised by how overwhelmed he was becoming, that he even felt it necessary to ask when he knew the answer. "Yes. I will."

Artemis's gaze never left their hands. He held her hand up to his lips and softly kissed it, twice. "Thank you." he whispered against her skin, unable to find any volume in his voice. He relinquished her hand to hold her cheek, guiding her mouth to his. As he kissed her, Holly could feel his lips trembling against her own.

She replaced her hand against his face, only to find it wet from tears. Artemis released her lips to hold her tightly against him. While Holly listened to his heart hammering away in his chest, she mused at this unexpected turn of events. Four years ago this man was a heartless child who kidnapped her and threw her in the cellar. Now he was the love of her life and she was promised to him both in marriage and as a partner. "Who would have ever thought I'd be engaged to Artemis Fowl." she thought out loud.

Artemis let out a small, huffed laugh before releasing her to wipe the tears from his face. _I'm turning into my mother... _He smiled sheepishly at his temporary loss of control over his emotions. He placed a devouring kiss on her before speaking, needing to be sure that when he did, his voice wouldn't crack. Looking into her eyes, he told her, "Holly, I have no words to capture how happy you have made me."

Holly just smiled in reply. Words were failing her as well. She just kissed him in reply. "It would seem… we have a wedding to plan."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Aww... who thought sensitive, insecure Arty was cute? I'm pretty sure he does exist under the many, _many,_ THICK layers of arrogance. Also, I just wanted to say about Juliet's comment... 'tab a' and 'slot b' came from an episode years ago of The Colbert Report where he was talking about some senator's comments regarding gays in the military and he placed hermaphrodites in the same category. Stephen had said that hermaphrodites can't be gay whether they're with a man or woman, "as long as tab A is going into slot B". I thought it was so funny I had to find a place to use it. I just want to give props to Stephen Colbert and his amazing writing staff for that. :)**

**REVIEW EVERYONE! PLEASE! The next chapter is so excited! Cheers all. -KK.**


	16. Recharged

**A/N: Wow! Your reviews were amazing! Thank you so much for such wonderfully kind words. And yes, I am trying to work on original fiction that I hope to publish. I've been told you can publish one-shots online through Amazon and sell them for a buck a piece. Anyone know about this? Would you all buy a smutty one-shot from me? ;)**

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I love the exchanges between Artemis and Holly in this. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I personally have been married for almost 9 years now and I like to think I know something about how a couple (especially one that lives together) converses. **

**As regards the magic in this chapter... I tried to use as much from the cannon story as references. But, as you are all aware, such things as 'magical transfusions to non-magical creatures' and the whole 'Partnering' thing is my own creation so I obviously had to make some stuff up as I saw fit. I hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl, no copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Artemis was extremely happy with the progress that was being made with the bedroom. The walls were now completely insulated and had be repainted and the molding and trim replaced. The ceiling needed to be covered by insulation and required sheetrock over it in order to cover the unsightly foam. Artemis winced as he watched the workers nailing the material over the beloved fresco that he had stared at every morning and night of his entire life. He almost cried when he saw the 15th century old floor boards ripped out to install the sound-proof material beneath it. When all had been completed, the room would appear the same, minus the fresco ceiling and approximately 14 cubit feet of space. The door had a seal placed all around it to keep sounds from escaping. When it was done, the room would be the envy of any recording studio. While the contractors worked on the door, he decided to add an additional lock, one that all they would do for installation would be to cut the holes in the door and screw in the mounting box. Later, Artemis would wire a gel fingerprint reader to it, giving only himself, Holly and Butler access, just in case his brothers or Juliet forgot about the knocking rule.

Holly and him had moved into one of the guest bedrooms down the hall, closer to his study. The room was nice enough, though there wasn't a desk and the bathroom had not been upgraded. The shower only had a single head and was severely lacking in pressure and the tub was simply a tub as opposed to his jacuzzi mini-pool he was used to. Still it was all temporary and for a good cause, so Artemis told himself he would manage and endured the week long stay in the less-than luxurious room.

Presently, it was two in the morning and Artemis found he was unable to sleep. Since the room lacked a desk, Artemis used his PowerBook while in bed and found some comfort going through the wedding plans. They still had no solid date but they had found a caterer, florist, photographer, chauffer (as Butler would have the day off work to attend as a guest), and a few other rental companies contracted to provide tables, chairs and linens. The reception was to be held at the manor but the ceremony was not yet decided. If they were to have it in the church, he would need to either have Holly actually convert, or forge a baptismal certificate for her, and that just seemed like a step beyond forgeries he was willing to commit.

Of course, Artemis could have hired a professional planner to manage all of these tasks. But he found the distraction comforting as the days became weeks and he suddenly found that it was already now the 26th and in less than 24 hours, he would be meeting with No.1 to go through his magical transfusion. Since Holly would need to perform the Ritual, there were few spots that were secluded enough where she would be able to find an appropriate acorn to use. The best choice was the sight located southeast of Tara. It was isolated and difficult to access on land though easy enough by air. It was also ironically the location where Artemis had captured Holly just over seven years ago.

The light from the monitor and the tapping on the keyboard woke Holly. Unlike Artemis, she was a light sleeper. "Ugh... Artemis, shut that off and go to sleep." she mumbled as she buried her face into the pillow.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Artemis saved the document he was working on and shut down the computer. After placing the laptop down on the bedside table, he snuggled in next to Holly. "Holly... since you're awake..."

"I'm not awake." she muttered from beneath the pillow.

"Well, clearly you are, otherwise you would not be able to make conversation." Artemis said simply to be contrary.

"I'm talking in my sleep. Now, leave me alone and go to sleep."

"Fine." he said. Still, he didn't leave her alone. He started to run his fingers through her hair, noticing how long it was becoming.

Holly lifted her head out of the pillow just enough to look at him. She cracked her eye open to give him one of her most irritated looks. "Artemis. Do I need to _mesmerize_ you in order to get you to leave me alone?"

"I'm sorry, Holly. I'm just nervous I guess. About tomorrow."

Holly rolled onto her back with a huff, admitting defeat in the battle for sleep. "Why are you nervous, Artemis?"

"I don't know why... I shouldn't be. I have full faith that No.1 knows what he is doing and all will go according to plan. Still, I can't help being anxious."

"Arty, everything will be fine. Please try to get some sleep." she whined. "Why don't you take a hot shower or go have a night cap or something."

"All right. Sorry, love. Sleep well." Artemis kissed her forehead before getting out of bed. He found a pair of silk pajama bottoms and his robe and quietly left the bedroom.

Artemis went to the conference room where his father kept a decanter of whiskey to offer his associates during business meetings. He didn't normally drink much. Occasionally, he'd have a glass of champagne at one of his mother's charity balls or rarely a glass of the merlot that his father had made from the grapes on the property. But harder liquor wasn't really his taste, and since he drank so infrequently, he had very little tolerance. Artemis poured himself a glass of the liquor, hoping it would knock him out, or at least relax him enough so that he could fall asleep. After swigging it down, Artemis immediately wretched at the powerful taste. "Oh... yuck..." he exclaimed after the hot sensation hit the pit of his stomach. Artemis than heard a low chuckle coming from the doorway and spun around to see who was there.

"Sneaking drinks?" Butler smiled at Artemis's reaction. The very fact that he was up at two in the morning, drinking alone was a very usual and somewhat amusing sight.

"I don't need to _sneak_ drinks, Butler. I'm 19. And trust me, I'm not drinking it for pleasure. I need to fall asleep. Why are _you_ up?" Artemis inquired, tersely.

"You know I'm not happy with you staying in the opposite wing as me. I put a motion sensor on your door. I arm it after midnight and shut it off at 7:30 when I start to make rounds. When it went off a few minutes ago, I decided to investigate... make sure everything was all right." Butler explained.

"God, Butler. I can't even leave my room at night without being checked on? The manor is secure. Neither my father or I are involved in any criminal activities any longer so I really don't see why you must hover the way you do." Artemis was becoming annoyed with Butler's over-protective behavior lately as he really felt it was unwarranted.

"You never know, Artemis. Someone might hold a grudge." Butler defended his actions.

Artemis decided to drop the subject. There wouldn't be any convincing Butler about being his second shadow. Artemis sat at the table with his glass. He looked down at it with great disdain. "Why don't you join me, Butler. Since you're awake now. You probably need it more than I."

Butler half smiled at his comment but decided to take him up on his offer. He poured himself a glass and sat opposite Artemis at the large conference table.

Artemis looked at the large Euroasian man who had been at his side since his birth. "Butler. We are friends, right?"

Butler smiled slightly. "Yes. Though don't tell Madame Ko or she'll have my tattoo lasered off."

Artemis smirked. "Yes, well, as Holly would say, you can tell Madame Ko to 'shove it'."

Butler let out a hearty laugh at that. Of course he'd only tell Madame Ko that if he had a death wish. He looked on proudly at his charge, all grown up. "Why can't you sleep, Artemis?"

"Nerves, I suppose... and yes, I did try meditation already before you ask."

"Hmm. You nervous about the wedding?" Butler asked.

"The wedding? No, no." Artemis waved it off as if it were a minor event. "Not the wedding. That is probably the only thing keeping me focused right now. Actually, that reminds me, I needed to ask you something. I was hoping you'd be my best man. It's not an order, just a request. It is your… prerogative. A choice."

Butler was taken by surprise, and more than a little touched. Aside from his sister, Butler had no strong relationships with anyone. His entire life had been devoted to serve and protect his principal. Artemis was the closest thing to a friend he'd ever known. "I'd be… more than honored, Artemis. Are you sure you don't want Myles, or someone else?"

"Myles? No. He's too young. And I'd never play favorites with the boys, Beckett can't take it. They will be the 'ring bearers'. And yes, I'm sure about having you. Butler, I only have two real friends in the world… and the other is the bride." He smirked, taking another swig of the liquor only to immediately cough. "This is horrible. People _enjoy_ drinking this vile brew?"

Butler smiled. "You'll develop a taste for it. You're Irish, after all. Artemis, I'm really happy for you and Holly. She's good for you. So if you're not nervous about the wedding, what's got you anxious?"

"I meet with the demon warlock tomorrow evening and begin the process of becoming a magical creature once again. Except this time it will be permanent, lasting throughout my impossibly long lifetime." Artemis explained before choking down the rest of the repulsive liquid.

"That's why you had the helicopter fueled yesterday?" Butler asked.

"Yes."

"May I ask where our rendezvous point is, or will I find out tomorrow?"

"There is no _'our'_, old friend. I will be taking Holly there myself. And I'm not leaving Ireland if that's of any consolation."

"It isn't. I don't suppose there is anything I can do to change your mind about that?"

"No." Artemis closed the debate with the single word before it even began.

Butler sighed, very unhappy about having Artemis pilot the Sikorsky to an undisclosed area. It wasn't that Butler didn't have faith in Artemis's skills as a pilot, he simply disliked being unable to watch over him. As Artemis was growing older and investing more time with both legal and sometimes even charitable avenues, he had begun to push away from Butler's protective services. There was a part of Butler that missed the young teen who would drag him all over the world (and under it) on a crazy adventure and threaten both their lives- on numerous occasions! Then there was the other part of Butler that reasoned he was not that young anymore and having ones life in constant danger cannot be healthy for the heart. Aside from all that, Butler always lived for Artemis and obeyed regardless of what the task was, even if he didn't agree with it. Now, Butler didn't need to squash his conscience anymore, since he was never asked to break into a bank or kidnap a fairy. As much as his current life with Artemis could be described as uneventful compared to the not too distant past, it was a welcome change.

"Fine, Artemis. You know I trust you. If you feel safe, then go. I would hope that you'd take your phone at least, just in case. "

"Yes, of course, of course." Artemis let out a yawn as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry... I think the alcohol has already saturated my blood. I better get back to bed before you need to carry me there." Artemis gave Butler a sleepy smile before standing to leave the room. "Sorry about getting you out of bed. I should be back in my regular room tomorrow night, so I'll be close by again. And now your neighbors won't seem so noisy." He laughed weakly as he rubbed his eyes again.

"Yes, that's all fine and good- unless someone actually breaks in and you're screaming for help where no one can hear you." Butler added, a little perturbed.

"Butler, old friend. You are a paranoid soldier. Good Night." Artemis mumbled, as he stumbled out the door.

* * *

Trouble had moved into the Frond household. His case was still going through I.A. and he wasn't able to make rent. His salary had been docked until he was reinstated. It was either go back to Mommy and Grub (where he'd _never_ hear the end of it) or move in with Lili and her family. At least this option got him laid on occasion, and the house was enormously bigger than the apartment his family lived in.

Trouble tried to be happy with Lili, he honestly did. She was more the type of female he was looking for. She was fine with children, even excited about being a mother. She was fine giving up her job as long as he worked, and even if he didn't, her family would be able to support them. She was _always_ up for sex, though that was never all too satisfying. It was like fucking a bowl of Jell-O. He silently hoped that one day, she'd let him do her up the ass. Maybe that still had some tension to it. Decades of screwing _anything_ with a twig and berries had made her very loose, and that thought alone turned Kelp off every time he tried to take her. Plus, regardless that she was willing, she was never really excited about it. _Then again, what female ever is..._ he thought to himself as he recalled every sexual experience he'd ever had in his life.

General Frond was not ignorant to his daughter's lifestyle and jumped at Trouble's offer to court her. The General was aware that some females use their sex appeal to get places in life. Unfortunately, although Lili was beautiful and willing to use her 'gifts', she was not clever enough to be manipulative, to make any 'progress' with them. She was just a whore, and he knew it. He was hopeful when she made Captain, due to some persuasion on Kelp's part, but even _that _back fired. So now she was just known as the bimbo slut on the force who only got there because of Daddy's influence. Now that the 'on the force' part wasn't even the case, she was just 'the bimbo slut'.

The General was currently trying to pull any strings he could with the LEP. Not to get Lili her job back, but to get Kelp his. He didn't want it to appear that Lili had to settle for a disgraced officer. So the agreement was reached two weeks ago, after their 'dinner'. The General would get him back into a Commander's position, and Trouble would marry Lili. And then they'd move out together, happily ever out of his sight. The agreement was more than acceptable to Kelp and so now, the General held the ear of every connection he had in the I.A., all willing to consider dropping any and all charges, and reinstating the Commander.

Thankfully, something good did happen to someone who's life he'd jeopardized, when his brother Grub was promoted to Captain. _Finally._ Of course, his promotion had completely gone to his head. Especially now that Trouble was on mandatory leave, he pushed it in his brother's face constantly. Still, at least Trouble had the fact that he was engaged to the beautiful and rich and _freaky_ Lili Frond to shove back at his brother. Grub always had a thing for Lili, and he was probably one of the few elves she'd never slept with. He had nothing to offer her, so there was no point.

The truth is, no one gave Lili the credit she deserved. Everyone assumed that she stupidly allowed Holly to record the conversation they had regarding her affair with Trouble. Lili knew that it was Holly that Trouble loved, and the feelings were _not_ mutual. Trouble was good looking and on the fast-track to the Council. She didn't think it would take so long for Holly to reveal the video evidence to the Council. She had been waiting for over two years now for Holly's wrath to be unleashed on the Commander, essentially giving him to her. It was predictable that Trouble would undergo investigation after it came out, but Daddy would fix that. She was now well into the next phase of her plans.

Lili entered the clinic where she had an appointment today for her procedure. The nurse, a kindly looking older female elf, probably in her mid-600's, gave her a gown to change into. "Won't the father be joining you today?" the nurse asked Lili.

"No, unfortunately he has to work. You know, he's a very important elf." she lied. It was only temporarily a lie. Trouble would be back to work in weeks and reinstated to his old position. It was being held for him with Commander Freiya only holding down the fort for him in his absence. Lili was sure after a month's time of running two units, she'd be welcoming Trouble back with open arms.

"Aww, that's a shame. It's really quite a magical event. Speaking of magic, you've completed the Ritual within the last six months, haven't you?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, just last month." Lili answered. Daddy had gotten her a surface pass as soon as she saw things becoming strained between Trouble and Holly. It was always good to be prepared.

"Excellent. Now you know we can only implant up to two of the embryos this decade or until you have another menstrual cycle. Have you and the father chosen the genders you'd like? Maybe one of each?"

IVF, or In Vitro Fertilization, was decades ahead of the humans down in the Lower Elements, allowing parents to chose genders of the children. Unfortunately, it was only approved to be performed on females 200 and younger and most females nowadays didn't want to have children that young. Aside from that, it was extremely expensive and reserved for only the upper class. Fortunately for Lili, she was both of those things. She had obtained the cryogenic tank and syringe needed to extract Kelp's DNA and brought it home. It was hidden under the bathroom sink and after each time they had sex, she'd make the excuse that she wanted to shower, the went to suction his sperm from her body. Of course, Trouble knew nothing of this.

"No, we've decided on a girl. Both of them will be female." Lili answered. She always wanted a girl...

"Very good. Now, you know, there is a possibility, although slim, that they will _both_ take. Multiples are 40% more likely with IVF than with natural conception." the nurse informed her.

"I'm aware. That wouldn't be the worse thing... It would be far worse if neither took." That would be very detrimental to her plan. "Please proceed."

"Very well. I'll let the doctor know you're ready."

* * *

Holly didn't even bother attempting to wake Artemis. She knew he didn't have a good night's sleep and he would need to be rested for this evening. She finished getting ready and headed downstairs. As she passed by her usual bedroom, she shielded to hide herself from the contractors working on the sound proofing. That was still a rather embarrassing request from her soon-to-be father-in-law to make of them. She peeked in from the corridor and saw the room looked complete, minus furniture and a good sweeping. They were scheduled to have the room completed today. Holly made it a point to remind herself to pack her things back in their temporary bedroom once she had finished eating.

Holly was becoming far more comfortable with the Fowls over the past couple of weeks. She had sat with Angeline for hours and talked about her different charity balls that she'd sponsored, mostly to fund animal reserves and rehabilitation clinics. She'd enjoyed Artemis Senior's company, who could be extremely witty. As she got to know him better, she could see whom Artemis really took after. Now, she had even dropped the 'sir' with him and was referring to him by Angeline's pet name, Timmy. It was rather confusing having two Artemis's in the household. It had taken a few tries before Holly could say 'Timmy' without feeling weird, but it sure beat his suggestion for her to call him 'Dad'.

Early that week, Beckett had his hair cut into a new style: a crew cut. Now he was very easily differentiated from his brother. Beckett had this in mind when he requested the hair style. They were starting Kindergarten in a matter of weeks and the boys were honestly sick of being confused constantly. Also, _stuff_ always managed to get in his hair mysteriously, so short hair seemed to be lower maintenance.

Holly joined Artemis Senior, who was reading the paper at the table, and Butler brought her a plate of… _waffles with strawberries and whipped cream_! Holly's eyes virtually sparkled as the plate was set before her. "Wow..." she said, wistfully. "_Thank you..._" she sung before attacking the meal before her.

Artemis Senior chuckled as Holly devoured the waffles, whipped cream sticking to the corners of her mouth. Holly looked up at his amused expression, barely embarrassed by it. "Sorry... I know I should be more graceful." Holly muffled out, her mouth still stuffed with food, crumbs flying as she spoke.

He burst into laughter at the irony of her statement. Holly definitely was from a different class. But that didn't make her any less lovable to him. In fact, it probably made her all that more endearing.

"So what's on the docket for you two today?" he asked Holly, after she swallowed the food in her mouth.

"Artemis is going to be flying us out about 20 miles from here to meet a friend of mine, well, ours. A fairy friend." Holly provided a truthful yet vague explanation.

"Flying? Only 20 miles? Why don't you drive?" he asked.

"It's nearly inaccessible by land. I thought Artemis would have told you he'd be using the helicopter." Holly was worried that maybe she had said too much and Artemis would be angry with her.

"Oh, really? The helicopter, eh? A lot of trees, I suppose?"

"Yeah..." _That's it? an 'Oh Really' and we take a multi-million dollar machine into an unknown location?_ Holly was a bit dumbfounded by Artemis Senior's unquestioning trust in his son's activities.

"Sounds like fun. You know, we're fine with your friend coming here, if you would all prefer that." he offered.

"Oh, no thanks. I mean, that's very generous, but I have to go there. It's a… _fairy thing_." Holly needed the acorn from that tree. Aside from that aspect, she could only imagine the Fowls reaction to seeing No.1 without a shape-shifting spell. At least Holly, as an elf, looked very close to human. Even though No.1 was 'humanoid', _human-like_ would be the furthest thing from an accurate description of his natural appearance.

"All right. When do you leave?"

"After sundown." She said, wiping whipped cream from her chin.

"Pity you won't bring your friend here. I'd love to meet more of Arty's _fairy friends_. He'd never had friends growing up, you see, and the only human friends or associates he ever mentions is that Dr. Zito in Sicily and Minerva, of course."

"Minerva? I didn't know he still kept in touch with her." Holly exclaimed, finding it surprising that this slightly bothered her.

"Oh yes. She's spent several holidays here at the manor. Very clever girl. Very pretty too. In fact, now that I remember, Arty received something from her a few days ago that I forgot to give him. Arty doesn't get much _paper_ mail. I think it got shuffled in with the bills..." Artemis Senior trailed off as he walked over to the counter to rifle through a pile of envelopes in a wooden bowl. "Ah, here it is. Would you mind giving this to Arty for me?"

"Give me what?" Artemis asked as he appeared in the room without warning.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Holly grumbled before shoveling another mouthful of waffles into her mouth.

Artemis looked at her, confused by her tone, but continued to his father. "What did you have for me, father?"

"A letter from Ms. Paradizo. It came a few days ago. Sorry I forgot to give it to you." He handed Artemis the letter. Holly could see it was a card of some sort, in an expensive looking paper envelope of a lavender color.

Artemis looked at the envelope and saw it was addressed to '_Mister_ Artemis Fowl the Second' and smiled smugly at the title she'd afforded him. Holly misjudged the reason for his reaction and gave him a death glare.

Artemis grabbed the letter opener from the drawer and tore open the envelope. He pulled the card free and read the message on it. His smile melted to one of disdain. "Oh, Minerva... how cliché. A graduation party? Honestly." Artemis complained to the invitation.

"That's nice, son. Has she already finished up repeating those Ph.D's in her legal name? You know, you should do the same. I do hope you'll be going." his father said.

"No, I will not be going. I hate formal functions like this. Especially for such a pointless occasion." Artemis said tersely.

"Now, Arty. How would you feel if she felt that way about your wedding?" his father argued.

"A wedding is _not_ a pointless occasion!" Artemis shouted indignantly at his father before throwing the invite down on the counter. He stomped over to the table to sit beside Holly who was still scowling at him. Butler placed his meal in front of him to which he gave no gratuitous remark upon receiving. Artemis had started to cut up his waffles then noticed Holly's spiteful expression.

Artemis and Holly had developed the irritating quirk that most multi-lingual couples have of speaking directly in front of others in their foreign tongue in hopes of their conversation staying private. _"What's got you in a mood? Don't tell me you're still mad about me waking you last night?"_ Artemis spoke quietly in Gnommish.

_"You woke me TWICE! When you couldn't fall asleep and then when came back to bed. So, yes, lack of sleep could be contributing to my mood this morning."_

_"It's not my fault you're such a light sleeper."_ Artemis grumbled.

_"Why didn't you ever mention you still talked to Minerva? Didn't want me to know?"_ Holly said in a very accusatory fashion.

_"No, nothing like that. It just never came up in conversation. Am I not allowed to have a female friend?"_ Artemis said, defensively.

_"You sure that's all she is? You had the hots for her pretty bad when you were 14."_ Holly said, slightly pouting.

_"Holly, do I detect… jealousy in your tone?"_ Artemis couldn't fight the smug grin from his face even though he knew it would only exacerbate the issue.

"Hmph!" Holly stormed away from the table, leaving food still uneaten on her plate. Artemis just shook his head. His father looked at him bewildered, wondering what was said.

After Holly had left the room, Artemis grumbled to his father. "She tends to overreact. Sometimes she's so unreasonable."

"Get used to that, son. And let me give you a little fatherly advice when it comes to disagreements. You. Always. Lose. And even when you win, you lose. Get my meaning?"

Artemis frowned. "No. That is clearly illogical."

"You'll learn." his father chuckled. "You need to go after her, son."

"I'm eating." Artemis started to cut off another piece of waffle just as Butler came up from behind him, snatching his plate away.

"You forget I speak Gnommish. Listen to your father."

Artemis stood abruptly from the table, scowling at both fatherly figures and stomped after Holly. "Unbelievable..." he muttered as he left the kitchen.

Artemis headed upstairs to where he knew Holly would have retreated. He passed their normal bedroom, still undergoing its transformation and peered in. It seemed the actual construction was complete and they were just cleaning up now. All they had to do after that was move the furniture back in then they could put their belongings back.

He continued down the hall to their temporary bedroom. He tried the handle but found it locked. "Holly..." he called to her. She never responded.

"I will pick the lock if you don't open the door. You know I can. Why don't you just let me in?" he demanded.

"You sure you want to waste the time? I'm sure Minerva is wondering why you haven't called to tell her you got her invite." Holly shouted from behind the door.

"That's it. I'm coming in." Artemis announced, very irritated. He pulled what only appeared to be a pen from his inside jacket pocket and unscrewed the lid to reveal a pick. In three seconds, the door popped open. Artemis was surprised to see Holly sitting in the middle of the bed, knees tucked under her chin, sulking like a child.

"What has gotten into you? You're behaving intolerably."

"Why didn't you tell me you still talk to her? Was she your fallback in case things didn't work out with us?"

"F-fallback? What on _earth_ are you talking about? Holly. I have no romantic feelings towards Minerva whatsoever." Artemis exclaimed.

"Really? How about Juliet?"

"Juli - Holly, We have already been over this! You know she's lived in my household since I was nine! She's practically a sister to me. Why are you behaving this way?"

"Because!" Holly shouted. Like it should be enough of an explanation in itself.

"Because. Oh I see- _because why?_"

"Because... Artemis." she started with much less volume and gusto than previously. "It doesn't make sense, you and I. You should be with Minerva. She's smart enough for you, rich like you. Most of all, _human_ like you."

Artemis let out a sigh, deflating the anger he was feeling. "Holly." he sat beside her on the bed and placed his arm around her. "I could make the same argument for you to be with Trouble Kelp. But I don't, because I wanted you badly enough to fight reason and better judgment. Now, I don't know if that makes my choices fool-hearty, but frankly… I don't care anymore. I love _you_ and want to be with _you_. I'm willing to go up against sense _and_ logic to do that. Holly, please believe me when I tell you I don't have feelings for anyone else that way. I never have."

Holly knew she was overreacting about the whole 'Minerva' thing. Still, she was feeling extremely vulnerable lately. She had opened her heart to Artemis and his family, left her home and her career. Plus with today being a full moon, she felt a bit more agitated than usual. Also, the fears of their upcoming Partnering was starting to fray her nerves.

"Artemis, is this really going to work? You and me... being Partnered?" Holly's voice had taken on a saddened quality.

"Of course." Artemis said with all confidence. In reality, Artemis had worried about the more than 10% chance that it wouldn't, not to mention the unknown outcomes it would bring to their physical make-up.

Holly finally looked up from her knees to see Artemis smiling warmly at her. She managed a small smile back before he kissed her on the forehead. "Thanks." she mumbled.

_Now, I'm pretty sure I won... What on earth was father talking about?_ Artemis silently wondered to himself.

Holly slid off the bed. "Let's go finish breakfast. Then you can call Minerva and tell her you'll be at her stupid party, and you'll have a guest with you." Holly ordered, a small smirk developing on her lips.

"What? No! I don't want to go!" Artemis complained like a child.

"Too bad. You go to your _friends'_ events... If she is your _friend_, that is."

Artemis sulked as he walked back downstairs with a delighted Holly. He was beginning to understand his father's words now.

* * *

No.1 had poured over the old texts all afternoon. He had already read them dozens of times. Still, he wanted to make sure he didn't miss anything. Qwan wasn't able to join him on the surface that evening so No.1 was really on his own. He was confident that he was capable of performing the transfer. He just hoped his estimates about the outcome were correct.

The evening had come and No.1 boarded the shuttle. He had Vinyaya approve his visa and let him borrow a set of Hummingbird wings to get to his location. No.1 had only recently learned how to use the wings and still found them rather terrifying. Still, they were the best mode of transportation. Once the shuttle docked in the surface port, he'd be able to reach the location in less than 20 minutes.

Vinyaya had also given No.1 a wrist computer to help him navigate and work as a communicator. He punched in the coordinates into the computer and fired up the wings. Gingerly opening the throttle, No.1 was off and "flying", slow and low. He screamed like a little girl, the e n t i r e way.

Artemis had Holly in the co-pilot's chair of the Sikorsky at 7:30 p.m. that evening. He was actually happy to be piloting himself there. It generally kept his mind focused and helped him from getting overwhelmed in a stressful situation.

Holly marveled at the controls and actually smiled brightly when they lifted off. It was nice to be in the air again. Not as nice as a pair of her own wings, but still pretty good. "You're going to have to show me how this bird flies."

"Sure." Artemis agreed. "It's not actually as complicated as it looks."

_Yeah, right._ Holly thought incredulously. It was probably exceptionally difficult to any _normal _person. She wondered if she could tolerate Artemis as her instructor.

Twenty minutes _flew_ by... quite literally. The night sky was gorgeous. Completely cloudless and every star shone brightly in the country atmosphere. The moon looked enormous, and Holly couldn't help but stare at it. Artemis landed the helicopter with the ease and grace that was afforded any task he took on. Holly spotted No.1 just south of the giant oak tree. She bolted free from the aircraft and ran towards No.1, punishing him with a giant hug. No.1, very startled, returned her hug, albeit with less strength.

"Oh, No.1! It's so good to see another fairy! How was your trip?" Holly beamed at him.

"Good, thank you. It's nice to see you, Holly. You too, Artemis." No.1 greeted him as he sauntered behind Holly.

"Hello, No.1. It's good to see you again, in person. I want to thank you in advance for all you're doing for Holly and I." Artemis politely greeted the demon warlock.

"Of course. Anything for my friends, the Heroes of Hybras." No.1 smiled at them. "So. You ready, Artemis?"

Artemis expression became very stern. He simply nodded to No.1. Holly turned to him, grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's going to be fine. I'm going to go top up my tank. I'll let No.1 _work his magic_." She laughed at her choice of words. Artemis's hand wrapped around hers, squeezing it in return.

Holly walked towards the tree, desperately searching the ground beneath it for an acorn. It was late May and only an immature acorn or one from a previous season would be on the ground. Still, she did manage to find one. She casually tossed it in the air, snatching it with her other hand. Holly walked about 20 feet away from the tree. She didn't need to go too far to plant it in order to get her powers restored. All the Book specified is that you plant it somewhere other than where you found it. So that's what Holly did. She squatted down to the earth, drilled her finger into the soft dirt, making a decent size hole.

No.1 approached Artemis, smiling brightly at him. "You're going to have to kneel down, buddy. When'd you get so tall?"

Of course, 5'8" was really not all that tall, but when your lover and all your friends are about 3 feet in height, you generally do come across as the tall one. Artemis knelt down to be eye level with his friend. "For a human male, I'm not that tall." he confessed.

"Yeah well, you're big enough to me. You ready?" No.1 asked.

Artemis just nodded firmly. Suddenly now that the time was upon him, he found his nerves were more in check. Like it was just the anticipation of the event that really had him on edge.

No.1 closed his eyes and placed his first two fingers of each hand on Artemis's temples. The spiral rune on his forehead began to glow red and spun hypnotically like a Catherine's wheel. When No.1 opened his eyes again, they were glowing crimson. "Artemis. I can give you the magic, but you need to put it where it belongs. Focus on that as I feed it into you."

Artemis said nothing in response, but the determination in his eyes was evidence enough that No.1 knew he understood. Suddenly a burst of red light shot from the center of the rune, directed square in the center of Artemis's forehead. He was soon completely engulfed by the crimson light.

Artemis felt the intense force of the magic assaulting his brain. Still, he needed to stay as focused as possible. He needed to _put it where it belonged._ Artemis could see the empty crevasses within himself... places where magic should be, places where magic once was. Focusing on them, he created the mental imagary of filling the cracks with the blue light he felt within him. He watched in amazement as everything he could picture in his mind's eye turned bright blue, then hot white. Feeling surprising envigorated, he allowed the power to completely consume him.

Holly watched from a distance, not wanting to be a distraction to Artemis. She quickly placed her acorn into the hole she drilled out for it and placed her hands down on the earth. Holly watched and waiting... for three entire seconds, until finally the comforting surge of blue magic crept up her fingers, to her arms, then covered her entire body. Steam vented from her pours as impurities were purged during the magical restoration. Holly hadn't been completely empty so the refill didn't send her reeling as it had when she was bone dry. Instead, it just covered her like a warm blanket, from the inside out.

She looked over to see what was becoming of Artemis's progress. Even though she'd seen many magical wonders in her life, especially from the young demon warlock, it was still a marvel to behold. A beam of red light had been shot from No.1 to Artemis. Holly watched as the light swallowed him entirely and an invisible force around him sent every leaf and twig within a foot's radius around him, hovering three feet into the air. Suddenly, the red light became white, then blue, then diminished. Just as the light seemed to be sucked up by Artemis, a thunderous sonic boom shook the earth, sending a rippling wave of force all around them. Holly closed her eyes as she saw the wave approaching. Still the force almost knocked her down as the terrifying sound of the rumbling of power and rustling of every leaf in every tree echoed across the field. After it passed, Holly opened her eyes to see Artemis standing before a tired looking No.1.

Holly ran as fast as she could to his side. "Arty!" she hollered out as she reached him. The sight she was greeted with was a bit unsettling. Artemis looked down at her, his hair and clothes were disheveled from the forceful wind the magic caused. More unsettling than that was the steam coming out of every inch of his exposed skin and the unnerving blue glow his eyes had. "How… do you feel?" she asked, very cautiously.

Artemis looked down at his hand. He stared in amazement as he summoned a single spark free from his finger, watched it dance and buzz across his palm, then closed his hand tightly against it, smothering it. Looking back at Holly, his blazing eyes dimmed back to normal. He smiled.

"Fantastic."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: So I hope you all found that exciting. Please be sure to review. **

**I hope you all have noticed little bits of foreshadowing I've been using… A lot of the small things I plant in these chapters come to fruition in the upcoming ones. **


	17. Partnered

**A/N: So this chapter was actually extremely hard for me to write. I really hope I don't drastically fail your expectations. I really enjoy writing comedy, smut is a bit more of a challenge... but fluff and serious emotional stuff is extremely difficult. I hope you all like it.**

* * *

"Dear gods, Artemis! I can't believe you absorbed it all! And you integrated it perfectly! Just like that! Exceptional!" No.1 exclaimed, sincerely impressed by his human friend.

Artemis smiled proudly at him. "Thank you, No.1. For both the magic, and the compliment." he said, returning to his smug self.

"Arty... " Holly didn't know what to say. She was dumb-struck. "Umm... you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yes, more than. Why?" Artemis asked her.

"Nothing... It's just really surprising. Even when No.1 tops up my tank, I have to focus really hard at absorption. I didn't think you, as a non-magical being, could do it so easily." Holly exclaimed.

"I do make difficult things look easy." Artemis arrogantly proclaimed. Holly shook her head in mild disgust.

No.1 spoke up. "You know, you two. Since Artemis got the magic integrated right off the bat, we don't need to wait until next lunar cycle to do the Partnering. I mean, we're all here and we got us a beautiful night..." he trailed off.

Holly and Artemis gawked at him, then at one another. They could partner... _now?_ They both seemed equally nervous and excited at the same time. No.1 wasn't sure what to make of their reaction. "You do want to, right?"

"You're sure we shouldn't wait? Until Artemis has had his magic back for a while? I mean, would it be safe if we didn't wait?" Holly asked, her nerves evident in her voice.

"Nah, it won't matter. Probe him yourself. You can tell it's all in there and in the right spots." No.1 told Holly.

Holly looked up at Artemis who gave her a grimace in return. Holly called him down to her with the curling of her index finger. Artemis begrudging obliged and knelt down to be at eye level with Holly. She grabbed the sides of his head and pressed her forehead against his. Artemis winced as she sent her magical probe through him. Satisfied that No.1 was indeed correct, she released him. Artemis gasped as he rubbed his head.

"Jesus, Holly. You couldn't just take his word for it, could you." Artemis grumbled.

"Not if I'm about to Partner with you. I needed to make sure."

Artemis swallowed hard. "You sure? You want to do this now?"

"Not if you don't."

"No, I'm good... with it. If you are."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good!" No.1 butted into their conversation. "I hope you've told Artemis about the ceremony."

"Uhhh..." Holly stalled. "Actually, no. We never really talked about the actual ceremony. I figured I'd bring it up sometime between now and next month..."

Artemis frowned. Why hadn't they talked about this yet? He was very disappointed in this oversight on his part. "What's involved?"

Holly averted her eyes, looking at the ground. "Um. Nothing too special, I mean. It's definitely something we wouldn't want an audience for so it's good we came alone tonight." Holly nervously stammered.

Artemis looked at her, confused by her vagueness. He glanced at No.1, hoping he'd have a more specific answer for him. He told him the details in a very unabashed manner.

"You have to be naked for the process then… _consummate _it immediately after."

"WHAT?" Artemis shouted, his voice kicking up an extra octave. He glared over at Holly who had turned a bright crimson. "You knew this? Why didn't you tell me?" he continued to shriek at her.

"Well, because... it seemed like a pretty small thing. I mean, it's not like it we haven't... you know." she said, very quietly.

"I'm going to leave immediately. Don't expect you need to put on a show on my behalf." No.1 chuckled, a little uncomfortable now.

Artemis just stared at him, then back towards Holly, utterly stunned.

"C'mon, Artemis. You were the one who wanted this from the beginning." Holly said as she buried her shame, stripping her shirt. No.1 instinctually looked away and towards Artemis as soon as her shirt hit the ground.

Artemis scowled. "Keep your eyes up, little demon." he growled as he shed his jacket and started on his tie. "This is unbelievable. You really should have told me about this. You know, a human wedding is nothing at all like this..." he continued to complain as he worked on the rest of his clothing, making a neat pile beside him.

Holly finished with her own clothing, leaving them in a not-so-neat pile around her. "Don't give me that attitude, Artemis. You know fairies do things differently... and better. The partnering couple needs to be naked since the actual _fibers of existence_ are being mixed. You don't want the _fibers of clothing_ getting mixed in with that shuffle."

"Well, then. It's a good thing we didn't wait until _January _to do this!" Artemis continued with his snarky remarks until they were both nude and he sat on his knees, glaring directly into Holly's eyes, _extremely_ uncomfortable with the situation.

No.1, who kept an eye on the moon during the clothing removal process, chuckled lightly at their exchange. "You two are so predictable. Only you guys would be have a spat right before you get partnered."

"Well! We're naked! What do you want us to do now?" Artemis growled, feeling extremely embarrassed.

No.1 looked at Artemis, only in the face, and explained to him in a very level tone. "First, you need to drop the attitude. Focus on the beautiful elf you love who is attaching herself to you for life."

Artemis immediately swallowed any shame about having to be naked and listened to his friend's words. This was a very serious task they were about to undertake. He studied Holly's expression which was shy, but she still managed to smile kindly at him. Artemis immediately felt like an ass for fighting with her at a time like this. "Sorry." he mumbled softly to her.

Holly just continued to smile, trying to work past her embarrassment as well. After all, _she_ was the female in front of another male, even if it was just No.1, who was probably the least threatening male she knew.

"Okay, love bugs... close your eyes, get nice and snuggly here." No.1 directed their foreheads together. "Just focus on each other's thoughts. This shouldn't take that long."

Holly ran her fingers down Artemis's arms until she found his hands. She held them tightly in her own, her breathing hitched as her nerves started to get the best of her.

Artemis opened his eyes, to look directly in her identically mismatched blue and brown irises. "Holly. No matter what. Know I love you." With that, he kissed her affectionately.

"_That's_ what I'm talking about!" No.1 sparked up his magic, his rune spiraled wildly and glowed a vibrate crimson. He placed a hand each on Holly and Artemis's shoulders while they continued to kiss.

Holly and Artemis were vaguely aware of No.1's presence as well as a strange warm wind that seemed to be encircling them. Seconds later, they found they could hear and see everything the other thought, similar to that in a time tunnel warp. Except this was slightly different, laying bare every thought, feeling and memory the other had ever experienced. Artemis broke the kiss but still held her hands tightly in his own. He stared into her eyes, shocked as he watched her mother die and felt every sorrow-filled moment of the painful experience. He saw Trouble Kelp, and felt her real feelings towards him... the friend that was like a sibling. Very similar to his feelings towards Juliet. The indignation she felt about the inequality towards females on the force. Every single time she had to play 'victim' for the training exercises at the Academy and how she would stew about it for days afterwards. After that, the flood gates of her feelings towards him opened. He could see just what he meant to her, felt all the fears she had about falling in love with him, all the worries about losing him, and the undying love she now felt for him. It was a completely overwhelming experience.

Simultaneously, Holly got to know for that fraction of time what it was like to think like Artemis Fowl. She could see how he saw everything she knew, could see everything _he_ knew, and, somehow, throughout this entire ordeal, he was still trying to find some way to utilize this type of connection in the communications field as a money-making scheme. Holly felt completely overloaded as an extreme amount of information began to pour into her, but within the whirlwind of knowledge, she found something else. A sad and scared 10 year-old boy who'd just been told his father was pronounced dead. A mother who didn't recognize him any longer as she completely lost her grasp on her own sanity. The extreme loneliness...

_"It's not like that anymore."_ She could feel Artemis think these words, even though she never heard them out loud or even in her mind. She just knew what he was trying to tell her. He felt _her_ feeling _his_ painful memories. Artemis showed her what he meant, revealing each and every feeling he had towards her. How much happiness she had brought him. The love he felt for his family, that he only still had because of her. Just how thankful he really was to have her in his life, especially as his love.

Holly smiled as she could feel the childish crush he had for her even as a 12 year-old boy. She mused about how things could change so drastically for humans in such a short period of time. Just four years ago, he was a boy...

_"It was technically seven years ago... even if it was only four for us."_ Artemis words were still only heard in her mind. Still, now they did sound more like words as opposed to just a thought or feeling. It was a bit unnerving to hear someone's voice while looking at their face... seeing that they were not actually speaking. More unsettling was the blue glow behind his eyes...

_"Yours are glowing too, you know."_

Holly was surprised to hear this. Not that her eyes were glowing, but that he knew what she was thinking without her verbalizing it... even within her mind. This link was so complete. They were two individual minds that co-existed in one presence. It was extremely intimate... having absolutely no secrets, not even feelings could be kept private. Each was privy to every single thought or emotion that even fluttered into the mind of the other.

While both of them processed this bizarre connection, a very unsettling sensation struck them both. They knew they both had felt it as they could still feel what the other felt. It's was very strange. A sensation like death and life all together at once. Like life was being sucked away but then instantly replenished. Then suddenly, they both realized what had happened. They had swapped, or mixed, more accurately. She was now a part of him just as much as he was part of her. After the realization struck, the link broke and they were once again alone in their own minds.

Holly now saw beyond Artemis and could see they were in the eye of some kind of tornado. Before she could be surprised by this, the cyclone dissipated, blowing outward and all around. Several small trees snapped and a few branches from the larger trees cracked and fell to the ground with a thunderous crash. The noise didn't startle her though. She felt herself suddenly overwhelmed by a new feeling. A sensation of loss. Loss over the connection she held just moments ago to the young man she loved... loss over some part of her that now seemed to be missing only to be replaced by something that was not her own. It felt very odd.

Artemis felt it too. He longed to be reconnected to her and felt mildly confused by the curious sensation that he was not quite himself anymore. No longer able to project his thoughts into her mind, he needed to verbalize in order to communicate. "Holly."

Holly unconsciously shuddered at the sound of his voice. It was peculiar to hear and yet somehow, alluring. She continued to watch him, noticing the bright glow of his eyes fade into a dull luminescence. She tested her own voice. "Artemis?"

Artemis's couldn't control the response his body made to her voice. Holly noticed as his expression changed rapidly. His nostrils flared slightly and his pupils dilated fully, making his entire iris appear black especially against the stark contrast of the slight glow the whites of his eyes still had. Without warning, he placed a devouring kiss on her, which to her, felt more than welcome.

Before No.1 even had time to congratulate himself or even take a breath, he realized he had received his cue to exit the stage. He'd call in the morning to see how they were both feeling. Right now, he didn't want to have images that would haunt his pubescent mind for days if not longer. The truth of the matter, as Qwan had informed him, was that a partnered couple didn't 'have' to consummate their joining, but they desperately 'needed' to. It wasn't something they controlled. He quickly and quietly took his leave before he was scarred for life.

Artemis's hands ran up the back of her legs. One stopped to grab her ass, the other continued upward, tangling his fingers into her hair. Holly's hands found their way into his hair, as her tongue explored his mouth. Artemis pulled her closer to him, close enough that she stood straddled over his lap. Holly broke the kiss, desperately gasping for air. He moved his attention to her neck, trailing kisses from her ear lobe, down her shoulder, right down to her breast. Holly moaned as his lips touched her nipple, causing rippling waves of pleasure to course throughout her body. Her need became fervent as she rubbed her inner thighs together. She could feel a bead of moisture running down her leg.

"Lie... down." she huffed out between moans and pants. She didn't understand this uncontrollable lust she was suddenly feeling. Holly knew after a partnering, sex was involved but thought it was just part of the whole process. As it turns out, that was exactly a correct assumption. She felt like she might explode if she didn't find someway to reconnect with him. Since physically was the only way she knew how to, she pushed him down against the ground and crawled on top of him.

Artemis willingly lay down against the ground, allowing Holly to take control. The truth was, he felt so painfully aroused that if he didn't leave her in control, he'd plow into her with reckless abandon and most likely finish before she barely began. As Holly took his stiffened member into her grasp, he let out an unrestrained hiss. She aligned it at her entrance then lowered herself onto him. She took no pause before beginning to move against him, lifting herself briefly only to dive down again roughly, taking his entire length into her.

Artemis roughly grabbed at her hip and breast. He bucked under and into her, matching her rhythm of penetration. He was a bit baffled by this unbridled lust that had overpowered him. He was just happy to see that Holly was similarly effected. He propped himself up on his forearms and bent his knees. He was able to get a deeper and more forceful thrust into her, which she seemed to be pleased about. She screamed out in ecstasy, unconcerned about her volume. The only ones to hear them out here were the bugs and squirrels and possibly, a few cows in the next field over. Artemis pushed up into her harder and more vigorously, lifting her off her knees and entirely off the ground. She leaned her back against his bent legs, grasping on to them for support.

Holly's moans were driving him to the edge. His perfectly manicured nails dug into the ground as her pussy walls clenched around his cock, tugging roughly against his shaft as their movements only increased in speed and strength.

"Holly... I need you... to come... now." he rasped as her walls closed down so tightly against him, he wouldn't be able to withstand much more.

Holly moaned loudly as she felt her impending orgasm approaching. She released one of her arms from around his legs and flicked her clit as he continued drill into her relentlessly.

"Fuck, Holly! Come!" he shouted, willing her climax to hit.

Sure enough, a few moments later, he felt her juices spill out over him. Her scream became strangled before she was pushed over the edge. "Ah, gods, Artemis!" she screamed out at top volume as every muscle in her body tensed and spasmed.

Holly never removed her hand from their coupled sexes. Leaving her now overly sensitive clit, she shaped her index and middle fingers into a 'v' shape and placed them over her pussy lips, squeezing against his extremely stiff member still inside her.

"_Fuck_, Holly. You feel so fucking amazing." he groaned as she increased the pressure against him with her fingers. The waves of her passing orgasm still massaged the head of his cock buried deep inside her. A few more forceful thrusts, and he shot his release into her. His eyes cinched closed as he came, completely overpowered by the force of his orgasm.

Holly felt his cum shoot inside her, unusually hot and deep. It was a very bizarre sensation, one that she'd never experienced before. She wondered if it had felt any different for him.

Coming down from his high, he stared up at the night sky above him, wondering if the stars he was seeing were really there or not. "Holly." he held her tightly against his heaving chest. Holly smiled as she lay down against him, listening to his heart hammering away. She lifted her pelvis up and off of him, pulling his member free of her body. She laid there, motionless, until both their breathing and hearts had regulated.

Once he had stilled beneath her, she lifted herself on her hands and knees and crawled up to kiss him on the lips. She stared down at Artemis below her, amazed. He used to be the cold-hearted child who had kidnapped her and held her for ransom, the one who endangered the entire population of her kind by losing his pirated fairy technology, the one who lied to her in order to get her assistance in helping his mother. He was also the one who saved Haven from a Goblin rebellion, paid a hefty sum for his mother's sanity, risked everything to save his father, saved an entire race of demons when there was nothing of gain for himself and the choice cost him three years of his life. He risked his own life to save his mother when she was ill and again when a megalomaniac pixie threatened the safety of the People. The boy genius had grown into a young man and now had chosen her to be with. She was now partnered to him for life. _Artemis Fowl the Second... _Out of all the people on and under the world she could have ended up with, she had chosen him. She smiled at her thoughts, thinking of how unlikely these circumstances were.

Artemis gazed up at her, longing to know her thoughts. He could tell by her expression that she must have been feeling similarly to him. He reflected upon their checkered past and could only marvel that circumstances had led them up to this point. She was now his partner, paired with his very soul. Even though he couldn't hear her thoughts without the link, he seemed to know she was dwelling on these same feelings and thoughts.

Artemis sat up, still having Holly straddled over him, and placed tender kisses upon her lips, cheeks and forehead. He gingerly stroked her hair, admired her and sighed. Words seemed to have left him and even if he could find them, they would fail to express his feelings, for no words would do them justice.

Holly couldn't help but blush at his tender affection towards her. She wished desperately for the moment to never end. Of course, it had to shortly. Spring it may have been but summer it was not... and the night air was especially cold without clothing. During the passionate throws of love-making, the night air seemed refreshing. Now it was uncomfortably chilly. Artemis could feel her goosebumps spreading across her body and knew she needed to be covered. He kissed her one last time on the lips before relinquishing her.

She stood and stepped away from him so he could join her. Holly wiped her hands against themselves to remove the dirt from them. Artemis, of course, ended up with more than just dirty hands and worked on sweeping the dirt from his body while Holly collected her clothing, turning the garments 'right-side out' as it seemed every piece had gone 'inside-out' when she pulled it from her body. As Holly dressed, she was glad to see that No.1 had indeed kept his promise and not stuck around for the show.

Holly looked up at Artemis as she zipped the fly to her jeans. He was working on the buttons of his shirt, still sans suit and tie. She smiled at him lovingly. "How do you feel?" she asked as she watched him step into his pants, pulled from the neatly folded pile beside him.

"Phenomenal. How about you?" he asked as he tucked his shirt in and zipped up his pants.

"Fine... Great. I mean, I was just wondering... umm. Your _grand finale_ felt a little different from usual." she said, blushing absurdly at the thought of talking about his orgasm.

"You thought so too?" He seemed surprised that _she _would have noticed a difference.

"Yeah, it felt... hot. Maybe even a bit... tingly?" She tried to think of the right word to use as she recalled the sensation.

"Hmm. Maybe it was magic." he smirked at her.

Holly narrowed her eyes at his dry joke. At least _some_ things hadn't changed.

Artemis put on his suit jacket but decided to forego the tie since they were headed straight home anyway. He rolled it up and placed it in his pocket then reached out for Holly's hand. Holly took it and they walked hand-in-hand back to the helicopter.

As Holly strapped herself in, Artemis began the complex sequence to start the engine. As his hand started towards the next switch he saw Holly lean over and flip it for him. His hand was near over a half a dozen switches, yet she chose the correct one.

"How did you know that was the next switch?" he asked her, curious.

Holly gaped, surprised by her own action. She moved on impulse and without thought. "I don't know... I just... did."

Artemis cocked an eyebrow at her. "Interesting." He wondered what she would 'just know' now that they'd been partnered. Also, what knowledge he could he have gained? Perhaps enough combat prowess to win a fencing match against Butler? He'd have to test his theories once they got home.

They landed on the helipad on the roof of Fowl Manor 22 minutes exactly after take-off. It wasn't even yet 9:00 p.m. and so much had happened since they left. It was going to take a while to digest.

Arriving back at their temporary bedroom, Holly walked into the bathroom to see their toiletries had been removed. Artemis went to go hang up with jacket in the wardrobe and noticed none of his or Holly's other clothes were there.

"Our stuff is gone." They said simultaneously, then chuckled that they had spoke in unison.

They clearly deduced that Butler, and possibly even Juliet, had moved their belongings back into their actual bedroom in their absence. Earlier that evening, Artemis had seen the workers moving the furniture back into the room, including the extra chifforobe and chest of drawers he had moved from one of the guest rooms into his own for Holly's use. The Butlers must have taken it upon themselves to get them moved back in, no doubt, Butler's idea, since having Artemis in the other wing was giving him a slow-growing ulcer. The two of them left the temporary bedroom for good and headed down to their old, yet newly sound-proofed, bedroom.

Sure enough, all of there things were here. Artemis hung up his jacket and tie amongst his many others and Holly went to dig through the drawers of the new dresser. She found all her clothes fit into the bottom two drawers. She grabbed a pair underwear and headed into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a bath. You're welcome to join me if you'd like."

Artemis smiled at the invite but then noticed a UPS package no larger than that of a shoe box sitting on his desk. "Sure, I'll be there in a minute." He waiting until she closed the door to the bathroom to open the package he received. He was very happy to see, it was in fact, what he hoped it would be. The second piece to Holly's present. He'd received the first part three days ago and had it locked away in his desk. He deftly worked through his set of keys to find the ones to his desk and opened the drawer that safely hid the treasure he'd placed there. He inserted it into the newly received part of the gift and placed the entire ensemble on her side of the bed. Artemis then hung up his suit pants, threw the rest of his clothes into the laundry hamper, and joined Holly in the bathroom.

* * *

Lili came home from her follow-up visit with her doctor absolutely delighted. The news was spectacular. Her life couldn't be turning out any better. Trouble had been reinstated last week thanks to Daddy's persuasion and Trouble's previously good record. Nothing would mar it going forward now that the meddlesome Holly Short was out of the picture.

Trouble came home from work, late as usual. Lili had cooked that night, with little assistance from either her mother or the staff. She wanted to prepare a special meal for her special man. She made him a big steak with potatoes and had it waiting for him when he came home. The rest of the family had already eaten hours earlier so she had him all to herself.

Trouble came into the dining room. He issued her a small acknowledgement before planting himself at the table. Lili placed his meal before him then sat across the table from him. "Wow, Lili. That looks awesome." He was really beginning to think that his life with Lili was going to be a pleasant one. She was definitely wife material after all. Trouble began to cut into his steak, finding it slightly overcooked but still quite edible. He wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and complain. She obviously went through a lot of trouble for him.

"Dear, I have something I need to tell you." Lili started, a giant smile painted her face.

Trouble looked at her, surprised and a bit wary. "What is it?" he said while chewing a massive chunk of meat in his mouth.

Lili waited for the suspense to build. This was, after all, _huge_ news. "I'm pregnant."

Trouble choked on his steak. He knew there was always a chance, though slim, with all the fucking they'd been doing... but still. It seemed so unlikely. As much as it was a shock, he was genuinely happy to hear he was going to have a child. Happy, and suddenly extremely terrified. "I'm going to be a father?" he coughed out.

"Yes." Lili said, still beaming.

Trouble got up and walked over to her numbly. She stood and tightly hugged him. She could feel him shaking. "That's not all."

"It's not?" What else could there possibly be? He held her at arms' length, looking at her questioningly.

"Nope." she said, popping the 'p' in her response. "You are going to be the first elf to father a set of triplets in over 800 years."

Trouble blanched as the words sunk in. _Triplets?_ As realization struck him, he fainted.

* * *

Artemis sat in the tub, the Jacuzzi mini-pool of their normal bathroom, with Holly leaning against his chest. She played with his fingers, noting the condition of his nails.

"Your nails are filthy."

"What do you expect? We just had sex in the dirt!" Artemis exclaimed, though clearly not upset.

"I _know!_ How frikkin' awesome was _that?_" Holly gleefully proclaimed.

Artemis laughed and gently kissed her hair. "Pretty _frikkin_' awesome." he said in mock imitation of her. Holly chuckled at how foreign her words sounded coming from his mouth.

"I'm going to get out, scrub my nails, then get dressed for bed. Take your time." Artemis got out of the tub and grabbed one of the two towels he'd left on the counter. He wrapped it around his waist then went digging through the vanity for his nail brush.

Artemis stood at the sink, attacking his nails with the brush. Holly could tell he was nervous about something. Even if his expression didn't show it, she just _knew_. "What's got you so anxious?"

Artemis smiled but never looked away from the task _at hand._ "What makes you think I'm anxious?"

"I don't know. I can feel it, I guess."

"Another thing you 'just know', like flying a helicopter?" he turned towards her, smirking.

"Maybe." Holly knew he was skeptical. He had every right to be. Who knew what could result from their partnering?

Artemis finished with his nails, rinsed the brush then turned the water off. He looked back at her and gave her a warm smile. It was true... he was nervous. Nervous she wouldn't like the gift he'd gotten her. "I have something for you... when you're done."

Holly furrowed her eyebrows. "What?" she asked. He just smiled at her and left the bathroom.

_Well I guess I'm done then._ she thought as Artemis left her completely in the dark as to what he was referring to. She shut off the jets (now knowing how to operate them herself) and flicked the drain release. She clambered out of the tub, surprised to feel how sore she felt. She gave her shoulders a quick roll and stretched her neck. It was unusual for her to be so stiff. Then again, she did just undergo an unusual spell transformation. If all she had to complain about were a few mild aches and pains, then she made out pretty well.

She grabbed the other towel from off the counter and patted herself dry. She pulled the pair of black panties on she had brought with her into the bathroom and walked into the bedroom. Artemis was just tying the draw string to his silk pajama bottoms as she emerged. He smiled brightly at her as he went to sit on the bed. Holly rifled through her drawer until she found her red camisole and slipped it over her head. She joined Artemis on the bed, perplexed to find a small wooden box sitting on her pillow.

"Is this what you wanted to give me?" she questioned. He simply smiled and nodded in response.

Holly lifted the small, ornate box in her hands, puzzled by exactly what it was. It was a hexagon, about six inches in diameter, made of dark stained oak. The top had a designed inlay made from a lighter colored wood. The design was familiar to her, an old-fashioned human pattern. A consistent loop that peaked in three spots, making a complex picture that reminded her of the white trillium flower of North America.

She traced the pattern with her finger as Artemis spoke up. "It's called a triquetra, or 'Trinity Knot'. It has taken on several meanings throughout the centuries though the original Celts probably had no direct symbolism for the design when they created it. Generally, a closed loop design has the meaning of 'eternity'. The three points have several meanings though there is a consistent theme that the three are related or connected. My preferred rendition of the symbol is 'Past, Present, and Future.' You can open it."

Holly realized it was a box of some sort, and therefore would most likely open. She held the box against the palm of her left hand while lifting the lid with her right. Holly couldn't suppress the small gasp that escaped her lips at what she first saw then heard. The music coming from the small box was enchanting on its' own. But the fact that is was the fairy lullaby her mother used to sing to her, let her know that Artemis had had this music box custom made for her. As beautiful as the song was, her attention was drawn to the large diamond ring the box contained.

"Do you like it?" Artemis was pretty certain that she did, although he still would have preferred for her to say so.

Holly couldn't manage words at the moment. She just nodded, too awestruck to verbalize her confirmation.

"May I?"

Again, she simply nodded.

Artemis took the box from her hands and set it down on the bed with the lid open so the rest of the song would play. He took the ring from box with his right hand while holding her left hand in his own. He slipped it over her third finger, happy to find that he guessed her ring size exactly. "Just the first of two rings I intend to place on this finger."

Holly gawked at the ring now placed on her hand. She noticed on both sides of the solitaire diamond was the same knot design that was inlaid on the lid of the jewelry box. The band was yellow gold, about three millimeters in width, with a round cut white diamond at the center. It seemed very large against her tiny finger. The stone must have been the same size as her pinky's fingernail.

"It's beautiful... Thank you." she finally managed to speak, barely above a whisper.

"Thank _you_, Holly. For agreeing to be my wife... and becoming my partner." Artemis tried very hard to keep his emotions in check. He wasn't about to break down and cry again, although it seemed, Holly was.

Holly couldn't hold back the tears that pricked the corners of her eyes. She laughed and cried simultaneously, completely overwhelmed by her emotions. She wiped the tears from her eyes before she beamed a smile at Artemis. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him with all her strength. "Artemis. I love you. So much."

Artemis wrapped his arms around her small frame, holding her closely. "I love you too, Holly. _So much_."

Holly let out a small laugh at his repetition of her words. Today had been such and eventful day. She couldn't manage to say much more than her expressed love. She would have never thought upon waking that morning and having a spat with him in her own insecurity, that by the evening she'd be partnered to him, wearing an engagement ring to bed. She released her hold on him, moved her hands to his face and planted a passionate kiss on him.

They kissed for a minute straight until Holly leaned back to give him an affectionate smile. He smiled back but appeared to be pondering something.

"Holly. We should probably set a date."

Holly nodded. Weddings don't plan themselves and even if Artemis could put it together quickly, guests needed to have adequate time to plan on attending. "When were you thinking?"

"Late September or early October. I'll be 20 by then. I think that would make my parents happy."

Holly agreed. That still gave them several months to adapted to their partnership. Plus, it did sound better marrying a twenty year-old as a opposed to a nine_teen_ year-old. "I love the Fall. It's my favorite season."

"Mine too. Autumn it is, then."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Okay, before you bark at me about Trouble and Lili's news, I will be explaining that further in another chapter. Please be patient. I gave Holly a knot work ring because Artemis is Irish. I know it might be cheesy but I actually DID find this particular ring online and _I_ thought it was beautiful... and it is _my_ story, so there! :P. Anywho, chapter 18 is next and 18-20 are my personal favorite 3 chapters in this whole story. Please review so I can get them up here soon! **


	18. Harrod's

**A/N: Okay... wow! This is my BIGGEST chapter (so far) and my all-time FAVORITE! Best smut scene EVAR! **

**I have to tell all my readers this: I have never been to Harrod's. I would love to, someday. But I did do as much research as I could on the department store, including layout and brands they carry. I've also seen several travel documentaries that included the store so I have seen what it looks like inside, just not in person. So for those of you who HAVE been to Harrod's, I hope I don't have any GLARING discrepancies and that I did the store justice.**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

"Ooooww..." Holly moaned as she rubbed her legs. This is what she experienced every morning for the past three and a half weeks. There was no question what the pain was from. She'd been experiencing it since the day after the partnering. Ever since then, she had gained nineteen inches in height and she wasn't just getting taller. Her entire frame had grown. Even though her whole body ached every morning, it usually dissipated by early afternoon.

Artemis sighed miserably as he ran his fingers through her hair. He knew she was in pain and it was his fault. The partnering had stirred up their DNA and now with pubescent human teenager added to her body, she was growing like a weed. He hated to see her hurting and had no way to ease her suffering. Magic only helped so much and Holly was hesitant to use it. They were supposed to make sure they were constantly filled with magic for the rest of their lives. Healing magic took the most out of them. Their partnership was a delicate one and it needed to be safeguarded. Holly was determined to simply suffer out the changes. It would be temporary. She wouldn't continue growing indefinitely.

Despite feeling a bit awkward with her additional height, Holly was actually enjoying the added inches. She could reach the shower switch on her own and access the sink in the bathroom without a chair. Getting on the bed wasn't such a task, and even though Artemis was a still more than a foot taller than her, she didn't feel so tiny next to him. She stood almost at shoulder height to him now. Almost.

Holly let out another misery-induced moan as she crawled from the bed. She pulled Artemis's shirt from her body, not bothering to unbutton it, and walked into the bathroom.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Artemis asked, sulking at his uselessness.

"No, Arty. You know I'll feel better after my shower. I'm surprised you're up... why don't you just go back to sleep until I'm done."

Artemis groaned and shuffled out of bed. He wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep. This was the only physical change he'd really noticed since the partnering. He was happy to be able to wake like a normal person in the morning. Meanwhile Holly was having a more difficult time than what was normal for her. It probably didn't help that the first thing she felt as she woke was pain.

Artemis decided they'd save time in the morning if they showered at the same time. Of course, the first time this happened resulted in sex and then she ached right into the evening. Now, Artemis was using the shower in the next room most days during the past two weeks. Even if he did wait to have a shower right after her, he found she'd usually used up most of the hot water... not that cold showers weren't welcome these days.

Forty minutes later, Holly emerged from the bathroom. Steam billowed out into the bedroom the minute she cracked the door. Artemis was already clean and dressed, at his desk, working on something on his laptop. He gave Holly a brief glance as she walked past him but immediately averted his gaze. Even though he thought it would not have been possible, Holly was even more attractive to him- now that she was closer to an average human's size. 4'7" was still incredibly short, but it was a tremendous difference from her previous 3' frame. He hadn't been intimate with her in over two weeks due to her painful growth spurt. Now keeping focused when just being in her presence was a challenge... never mind when she was dripping wet _and_ naked.

"You need to decide on the stationary for the invitations." Artemis muttered, sounding just as miserable as he felt.

"You know I don't care about the paper. You can send everyone a stupid E-mail for all care." Holly spat as she rifled through her drawers. "Ahhh! I have NOTHING to wear!" She shouted as she peeled the shirt off that she had attempted to wear, only to find it extremely small, and showing her midriff. She swiftly balled it and pitched it across the room.

"You know I'm not going to send E-mails. Can you at least give me your top three choices so I can pick from those? I really do wish you'd take a bit more interest in _your own_ wedding. You shouldn't just leave _everything_ up to me." Artemis complained, irritated.

"Why not? You're the picky one. Besides, this wedding is for you." Holly replied flatly, unconcerned about her tone.

Artemis bolted up from his chair and slammed his laptop shut. He gave Holly a most livid scowl. "Fine! Let's not even bother! Seeing as how you don't care, let's not waste time or money and just forget the whole thing!"

Holly huffed, exasperated. "Artemis, you're overreacting. I didn't say I don't care about the wedding. I said I don't care about the paper. I feel like I'll chose something and you will either tell me why it _isn't_ the best choice, or you'll simply allow my choice when secretly you're disappointed I didn't chose something else."

Artemis sulked. She knew him too well. "Fine. I'll give you _my _top three choices, and _you_ pick from them."

"Fine!" Holly threw her arms in the air, only to quickly anchor them on her hips. Her gestures brought Artemis's attention back to her… _very_ nude body, it's recent changes making him salivate and frown all at once.

"Would you please find _something_ to wear?" Artemis whined.

"What? What am I supposed to wear, Artemis? Please tell me. My clothes don't fit!"

Artemis put his hand on his chin while he thought about it. His or Juliet's clothing would be too big and the boys' clothes would be too small. Then he remembered the box in the back of the storage closet. He went over to the closet and dug it out for her. "Here. These are my old clothes from several years ago. When I outgrew them, mother had me pack them away for the boys to have when they grew into them."

Holly walked over the box and started to dig through the clothing items. She found a pair of khaki colored chinos and pulled them free from the box. She held them up against herself and gave a satisfied smile. They'd need to be rolled at the bottom, but looked like they'd fit pretty decent. She slipped them on and tried her luck with a shirt. "I don't suppose you have a set of bra and panties in here." she smirked without looking up at him.

"Sorry... I wasn't much of one for bras and panties when I was ten." he answered wryly as he shuffled through the sample cards of invitation paper.

"Great... I'm the size of a ten year-old boy, and now I'll dress like one, too." Holly muttered. She felt like she'd grown to an absurdly tall height. And for an elf, she had. But she was still petite for a human girl. That is, besides her _womanly_ attributes… She managed to find a white Oxford button down. Artemis looked up from the paper to see her buttoning it. He gave her a pained expression.

"Holly, you can't wear a _white_ shirt. There's got to be something else in there for you." Artemis was trying hard not to notice her plainly visible nipples, showing pink through the translucent material, they being pressed against it by the enlarged mounds they crowned. He was quite certain that Holly knew she was torturing him.

"Why? Not my color?" She gave him a wicked smile. She was _most certainly_ aware of her effect on Artemis. She felt a little put out that after their partnering, she underwent tremendous _painful_ change when he seemed to be completely unaffected. He needed to suffer on some level. It wasn't just that though. She would ache for hours after sex, making the idea sound less than appealing. Still, she found that she wasn't going to be able to hold up with this torment for much longer. Having a teenage boy's hormones injected into her required quite a bit of will power on her part to stay focused. She was actually quite impressed that Artemis had lasted as long as he had.

"Hardly. Just… not appropriate for public appearances." Artemis ignored her taunt and joined her in rummaging through the box. "Here." he handed her a dark navy Polo. It would still be loose fitting on her... hopefully hiding her braless state.

As she unbuttoned the white shirt, Artemis turned to face away from her. She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stifle her laugh. She pulled the Polo on. Holly was not impressed with her outfit, but it was clothes. "All right. I'm clothed. Show me your choices."

Artemis pulled his top three choices of stationary from the pile of over two dozen different samples. He set them out on the desk for her inspection.

Holly looked at the three cards. All were beautiful. She honestly didn't care about a paper invite that people were just going to throw away after the event had passed. But she tried to look interested for Artemis's sake. "This one." she pointed at the one in the middle that had a scrolling vine pattern in raised black ink.

Artemis frowned. "But, why that one?"

Holly's glare could've froze hell over. "Are. you. kidding. me?" she spoke low and dangerously.

Artemis couldn't contain his laughter at her livid glare. "Of course I am." He enjoyed irritating her from time to time, it was his only way to ease the stress. He picked up the card to look at the back. Each sample had the style name and number listed on the back. He'd E-mail the company later that morning so they could start with getting the invites printed. The date was set for October 6th, and it was already less than four months away. It was good manners to give your guests at least three months advance notice.

Holly's glare only softened mildly. "You're lucky I don't carry a Neutrino anymore. You are such a brat sometimes."

"A brat?"

"Yes. _A brat._"

Artemis couldn't entirely argue against the accusation. He did pick on her incessantly simply to get a rise out of her. Perhaps that was juvenile behavior but he did enjoy seeing her get flustered. Aside from that, it came so naturally to him.

Artemis decided to drop the topic. "I am intending to take you shopping today. I'm going to see if Juliet and Butler will join us. You should eat before we go."

"Shopping? Really?" Holly tried to hide her excitement. Tried and failed. She hadn't been shopping in months, let alone on the surface, and hated to admit that she really did enjoy it. It seemed to be more appealing now knowing she wasn't shopping with her own hard-earned money. She momentarily felt guilty for having Artemis spend money on her, but reasoned he could afford it- and maybe it would keep him from wasting it on another Cartier he'd hardly ever wear.

"Yes. Harrod's. You need to replace your entire wardrobe. Juliet will help you... if I can find her. I'll meet you in the kitchen." Artemis left the room and headed towards Juliet's room, leaving Holly puzzled.

_Harrod's? But… isn't that in London?_

Artemis knocked on Juliet's door but it sounded deserted inside. "Juliet?" No answer. He left to go check the kitchen downstairs. Upon arriving, he found Butler cleaning up the rest of the family's meal. Artemis and Holly rarely made it in time to join the rest of the family for breakfast. He took the pot of Earl Grey that Butler had prepared for him and poured himself a cup. "Butler, do you know where Juliet is?"

"Juliet? I believe she said she was going to the gym to box." Butler replied.

Artemis rolled his eyes. _Great._ He didn't feel like going all the way to the gym to fetch her. He reached for his BlackBerry on his belt and called her cell. She answered after two rings. "Juliet. I need you to accompany Holly and I today. Please come at your very earliest convenience." Artemis hung up immediately after issuing his order. He really wasn't one for pleasantries.

"Can I assume I'm included?" Butler questioned, hoping Artemis wasn't going to leave him behind again. He didn't think he could handle the stress.

"Yes I would like for you to pilot the Lear jet to Heathrow. Holly needs clothing... all types of clothing. I figured Harrod's would be the best place for one-stop shopping. I do not intend on being dragged all over Dublin to find everything she needs." Artemis explained.

"Very well. May I ask why you need Juliet as well if I am coming along?"

"She is female. Holly needs... female things. You know... undergarments." He mouthed the last word. Artemis felt ridiculous that he was uncomfortable mentioning Holly's unmentionables to Butler... or lack there of for that matter.

"Ah." Butler didn't press the issue further.

Within minutes, Juliet's voice rang through the kitchen. "'Kay, I'm here."

Artemis was reading an E-mail on his BlackBerry when she burst in and didn't look up before beginning to greet her. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Juli-" he paused mid word as he was suddenly taken off guard by her appearance. She breezed in the kitchen doorway, sweaty and panting from her workout. Her hair was tied up in a pony tail but a few loose locks stuck to her face and neck in slick strings. She wore a hot pink sports bra with no shirt to cover it, with a pair of sweat shorts upon the bum of which Artemis caught the word 'Juicy'.

"Juliet! Go change at once!" he barked at her. "You can't go shopping looking like that!"

"WooOOoo... Shopping!" Juliet excitedly skipped up to her bedroom, leaving Artemis with flushed cheeks and a deep set scowl.

Artemis muttered something under his breath that Butler couldn't understand. He placed his hand on his young charge's shoulder, concerned about his behavior. "Is something bothering you, Artemis? You seem frustrated."

Artemis fought the urge to pout. _When did I become such an open book._ "It's nothing to be concerned about, Butler. I'm simply worried about Holly. This accelerated growth has caused her a great deal of pain and I am powerless to help her. You know the feeling of powerlessness does not bode well with me." Of course, that wasn't the only thing that had Artemis stressed but he wasn't about to reveal the other reason… and the response he gave wasn't actually a lie since he was genuinely worried about her.

"No. I'm sure it doesn't." Butler didn't know what else he could say about Holly. Artemis had explained in his typical overly scientific style about the whole partnering process that Holly and he had undergone. Needless to say, Butler merely nodded and gave a few 'I see' 's here and there. All he did understand was that it was a big step for the two of them as a couple and Holly's growth spurt resulted from it.

"What can I get you to eat?" Butler asked him, trying to change the subject.

"Whatever you made everyone else." Artemis announced as he typed out an E-mail to the printing company with his thumbs on his hand-held device. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a teenager texting his girlfriend... albeit a teenager in an Armani suit.

Butler put a plate of bangers and Belgian waffles in front of Artemis, who barely acknowledged he had been served. His eyes were glued to the screen.

Holly limped stiffly into the kitchen, also unnoticed by Artemis. She glanced down at the plate in front of him and saw the deliciously fluffy waffles that he was ignoring then looked over to Butler who was already preparing a plate for her.

"Butler! You made waffles! My waffles! You are _the man!_" she sang. Artemis jolted from her sudden outburst. He gaped at her clutching his chest, trying to keep his heart from bursting out of it. Holly laughed maniacally that she'd _finally_ successfully startled him.

As Butler set the plate down on the table, Holly skipped behind him, clapping her hands like a gleeful child. Artemis did not fail to again notice her now vastly larger breasts, bouncing freely beneath the polo. He managed to suppress the groan that was trying to escape, but still rubbed his temples as if he were in pain... since he was. Things would be turning blue soon…

Holly sat across from him, scarfing down her breakfast. Artemis finally finished what it was he was doing and placed his device back on his belt clip. He looked up at Holly only to instantly regret it.

She immediately noticed she had his attention. Holly changed her eating style from her normal less-than-graceful manner, to completely seductive. She brought the fork up to her mouth painfully slow, letting the piece of food linger at her open, awaiting mouth. Her tongue darted out to swirl along the fork before her lips closed over it, but not before a drop of syrup escaped and landed on her chin. She took her index finger from her other hand and wiped the drop from her face. Maintaining full eye contact with Artemis, she licked along the length of her finger before plunging it between her perfect bow-tie lips. She swirled her tongue around it several times before pulling it from her mouth, again with excruciating slowness. A devilish grin crept across her face as she took in Artemis's darkened expression. "Mmm. Yummy."

Artemis was spellbound by her little performance. The groan he was suppressing escaped but came out sounding more like a growl. Artemis was thankful for the small amount of blood left in his brain that reminded him they were not alone in the room. Butler was gawking. Had they been alone, Artemis would have most definitely pounced on her and drilled her to the kitchen table, to teach her a lesson... Sadly, they were not. Artemis conceded to breaking visual contact with her entirely and tried desperately to focus on eating. _Wicked... Absolutely wicked. You will pay for that little stunt, my dear Holly._

Holly chuckled proudly at her work. He enjoyed teasing her constantly. She figured he deserved a dose of his own medicine. She'd just go about administering it in a different fashion.

"Okay. I showered and changed!" Juliet blasted into the kitchen. "When are we leaving?"

Artemis carefully examined her in his peripheral vision. He was relatively satisfied with his assessment. She had black jeans on, with a neon-green t-shirt. The clothes were too tight, but at least they covered everything. "As soon as we're done eating." He said, and thought _And when I can stand up..._

* * *

Holly still wasn't sure if she should be impressed or repulsed with Artemis's lifestyle. She sat across from him in a leather clad seat of his private jet, en route to another country, simply to go clothes shopping. It was a touch more than ostentatious. Butler and Juliet were in the cockpit, leaving her alone to contemplate her partner.

Holly tried not to stare at him during the trip. He was currently looking out the window with a melancholy expression on his flawless face. He sat cross-legged, with the stem of the crystal flute of spring water balanced lazily between his middle and ring fingers. He perfectly fit the stereotypical description of the aristocrat heir. Holly would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she found him… _gorgeous_. He was tall, lithe and thin, well dressed and well spoken. His raven hair fell just over the tips of his ears, his skin a perfect shade of Irish cream. When he unconsciously swept a perfect finger to tuck an unruly lock of hair behind his ear, Holly had to bite her lip to suppress a whimper. She squeezed her thighs together tightly. _Damn, these hormones are a bitch..._

Artemis peeked at her from the corner of his eye. He could sense she was watching him. He could also sense her arousal. Ever since their partnering, the two of them had acquired a sense of knowing the others' feelings without making judgments based on body language. Holly seemed to be more in tune with him than he was to her, but nonetheless, he could still pick up on her stronger emotions. He smirked at her before setting down his glass and relocated to the seat beside her.

Holly's breath caught as he sat down beside her. She was suspicious of him, and wary of her own will power. She figured it was best to feign disinterest. She looked away from him, trying to keep her composure.

Artemis leaned in to whisper in her ear in a most seductive manner. "Holly. What are you thinking?"

Holly shuddered unconsciously. The scent of his cologne mixed with the sensation of his hot breath on her ear was putting her brain in a fog. Her heart almost stopped when she felt his hand on her stomach, creeping under the hem of her shirt and up her bare belly.

"Tell me." he continued to whisper to her before running his tongue along the outside of her ear.

Holly visibly squirmed when his fingers brushed over her nipple. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she had no underwear on. Her eyes closed tightly as she fought every desire to beg for more. It would hurt too much later. Before she could compose herself, he began sucking on the tip of her ear while the gentle graze against her nipple became a firm pinch.

As soon as Holly started to moan he completely withdrew from her. Holly blinked, confused, as Artemis left her side and returned to the seat across from her. She gawked at him with complete bewilderment but he only looked at her with indifference. Then she realized what had just happened. _He's playing my game..._

Holly was about to bitch him out when she heard the door to the cockpit open. Juliet emerged and took a seat on the couch on the opposite side of the plane. "We're in the holding pattern. Just waiting for clearance to land. You know how busy Heathrow is."

Artemis merely nodded in acknowledgment before going back to staring out the window.

Juliet was not one to tolerate an awkward silence. "Holly. What kind of clothes you wanna get? Harrod's is pretty ginormous. They got a huge selection of D&G and Juicy Couture."

Holly had no idea what those brands meant. "Uhm... I just want casual clothes. You know... jeans and t-shirts. That sorta thing."

"Juliet, please help Holly acquire a modest party dress. _Nothing revealing_." Artemis instructed her.

Holly looked at Artemis puzzled. "A party dress? Why?"

"You're the one who wanted to go to Minerva's stupid party. That's this coming weekend you know."

_Oh yeah..._ Holly thought as she remembered forcing him to go. _Why did I do that again?_ She recalled it had something to do with her own insecurities. Holly hated formal events just as much as Artemis did. Still, Holly was determined to go and drag him along with her. Stuffy formal balls were a part of his lifestyle that she really didn't know anything about. _Crap... There's probably dancing. I suck at dancing..._

Artemis sensed her turmoil but didn't know what to make of it. "I could cancel... say something came up." he offered, hopeful.

"No, no. We're going. I'll get a dress. You trust this woman to pick something out for me?" she smirked at Juliet who scoffed in mock offense.

"I trust _you_ to acquire something tasteful."

"What if I don't pick something fancy enough?" Holly was actually a bit nervous about this. She wasn't really sure what the dress code would be.

"It's not that formal, Holly. I'm not going to be wearing tails! A cocktail dress will suffice."

Anything that wasn't jeans and a t-shirt was formal enough for her. She'd have to trust Juliet to some measure. Hopefully she wouldn't end up looking ridiculous.

Twenty minutes later, the plane touched down at Heathrow International. Artemis had called a rather exclusive rental company ahead of time, who had a familiar Bentley waiting for them past customs. Butler drove, not happy about having to battle mid-day traffic in downtown London immediately after flying for over two hours. Yet with his precision and determined driving, he managed to get them there in only fifteen minutes.

Upon leaving the car with a valet, they entered the grand lobby. Holly's eyes bugged out at the sight. It was extremely luxurious. She wasn't sure if they even sold 'jeans and t-shirts' at this establishment.

Artemis turned to Juliet who was barely containing a 'squee'. "You have your phone with you, I trust?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Juliet answered while she looked at everything but Artemis. She was edging towards the expansive handbag department already.

"Very good. Please see to Holly's needs." From his jacket pocket Artemis withdrew his wallet. He opened it, rifling through the multiple cards it contained before deciding on the platinum Visa to entrust to Juliet. "Here."

Juliet's eyes widened as she reverently accepted the holy object. "How much can we spend?" she replied, suppressing the extremely strong urge to flail and giggle like a lunatic.

Artemis shrugged. "I don't care." he said sincerely. "Spend what you need to."

That was all Juliet needed to hear to break her resolve. She screamed and jumped up and down like a thirteen year-old girl at a Hannah Montana concert. "EEeeEEeee... Thank you, Artemis!"

"Juliet. You are shopping for Holly, remember." he scolded her.

"Shopping is shopping all the same. Shopping that involves spending actual money! So much better than window shopping."

Artemis had heard the term 'window shopping' before, but wasn't exactly sure what it was, nor its' exact purpose. _Why would you go shopping unless you intended to buy?_ It was a peculiar concept.

"I will call you when I intend to meet. In the meantime, the women's department is on the 1st floor, so head up there. I will be on this level for the time being." Artemis had already spotted the watches and was planning on heading over there… as soon as Holly was out of sight.

"'Kay!" Juliet grabbed Holly roughly around the arm and dragged her to the escalator. Holly looked back at Artemis with pleading eyes as she was dragged away. He only smiled, unrepentant for unleashing 'the Juliet' on her. He'd had his share of being dragged around by her in his life. It was only proper to share that experience with his soon-to-be wife.

Holly gawked at the Egyptian themed escalator. She was lucky to have Juliet paying attention when they reached the top since Holly's gaze landed on the stained-glass mural on the ceiling. Had Juliet not tugged her, she would have toppled over.

"Where do you want to start?" Juliet asked her. Holly was surprised she actually did have somewhere she _needed_ to start.

"Juliet... I need bras, and underwear. I'm not... wearing any right now." Holly admitted, embarrassed.

Juliet's jaw hung slack in shock. "You're _not?_ But for 87, you're so… perky." Holly just shook her head in response.

"Well, let's take care of that first."

* * *

Artemis approached the watch counter with Butler at his side. He casually examined the bevy of watches in the display case. He certainly didn't _need_ another watch. And no doubt Holly would scold him if she were to find out he'd purchased yet another one. He mentally asserted that it was _his_ money, therefore he was entitled to spend it in whichever way he saw fit.

Butler was not entirely comfortable being in the crowded department store. He flanked Artemis's every step, finding only mild comfort in resting his palm against the Sig Sauer in his breast pocket. Of course, this wasn't the hand gun from home. Customs and local law enforcement wouldn't allow that. Instead, it was the exact same model as the one he kept on his person back in Ireland. He'd had it stowed, along with several other items, in a locker at Heathrow International.

The sales clerk saw the two men approach the counter. She took one look at middle-aged, giant Eurasian man in a designer suit and immediately deduced he was a bodyguard. Then she examined the young man he accompanied and could instantly tell he was from money. He appeared to be in his late teen's, maybe early twenties at the oldest. If he was as rich as he looked, he was definitely old enough to drop some serious cash. She put on her warmest smile before offering her assistance.

"May I help you, sir?" she asked, speaking to Artemis. She couldn't help but feel the bodyguard's glare on her.

Butler was of course, suspicious of the innocent, middle-aged clerk. She was just doing her job, and trying to gain herself a hefty commission. But you never could be sure these days. Not with women. Currently, the top ten list of the best Medal Men only contained one man with the other nine all being female. Even Butler himself was trained by a woman. They were not to be underestimated. Women were dangerous in more ways than one.

"You may. I'd like to see the Santos 100 Skeleton model." Artemis pointed to the Cartier watch he had his eye on.

"Certainly." The clerk's heart skipped a beat when she unlocked the case to retrieve the £28,000 watch from within. She gingerly handed it to Artemis who was already removing his Rolex to try it on.

Artemis's eyes lit up like a child's as he examined the watch on his wrist. "Butler, what do you think?"

"Don't you already have a Santos?" Butler asked, not particularly caring about his potential purchase.

"Yes, but it is not a Skeleton. Look. The movement is bridged in the form of roman numerals. It's very easy to read actually." Artemis tried to justify his decision to purchase the item.

"Yes. Very nice." Butler's reply did nothing to hide his lack of interest.

Artemis pouted. Butler had never been a fun shopping partner. He returned his attention to the clerk. "I will take it. You may wrap it up, but I will be back later to retrieve it. I only just got here."

_You only just got here and you've already dropped more than two times the cost of my car on a stupid watch._ "Yes, of course. Very good, sir." she smiled brightly. "How will you be paying today?"

Artemis found one of his other cards to hand the clerk to ring up his purchase. She took the card to read his name. "Thank you, Mister Fowl." _You just paid for my next Botox treatment._ "It will be here when you are ready to pick it up."

Artemis beamed a smile at the mature title she'd addressed him in. He was very happy to finally be accepted in the adult world he'd really actually belonged in for quite some time now. He completed his transaction and then reached for his phone to call Juliet.

He didn't even afford her a 'hello' when she picked up. "Where are you two?"

Juliet rolled her eyes at his curt greeting. "Fifth floor, getting her some work-out clothes. Holly said 'your opulent lifestyle is making her fat'." Juliet laughed as Holly hissed at her to shut her mouth.

"Stay where you are. I will meet you."

* * *

Juliet and Holly had already hit up the lingerie department, the Weekend Room, the Designer Collection and even picked out a swim suit. Juliet helped Holly carry the copious amount of bags, one which contained the clothing she had arrived in. Holly had changed into a pair of black denim capri's with a graphic T. Of course, she also now had undergarments on.

The two of them were just ringing up a purchase on a couple sports bras and pair of cross-trainers. Holly was determined she would not 'let herself go' now that she was no longer a cop. Artemis's rich diet was also not helpful in contributing to this goal. Plus, since all the foods she loved were, of course, fattening, these were the ones that Butler would prepare for her since he wanted to make her happy. Unfortunately, she was already through puberty and couldn't eat like a horse and not gain a pound. That was a special skill only Artemis possessed.

Butler spotted Juliet shortly after they'd arrived on the fifth floor. He had to assume Holly was with her since she was invisible to him. Even at 7' tall, Holly's four and a half feet were hidden to him behind the racks of clothing.

Artemis approached Holly, happy to see all the bags the two of them had already. "Your outfit is cute."

"Thanks. It fits a little better than 10 year-old boys' clothes." She noticed neither Artemis or Butler carried any bags. "Didn't you buy anything?"

Artemis had to change the subject. "You don't see me carrying anything do you? Did you already pick out a dress for Minerva's party?"

Holly was momentarily surprised that he hadn't bought anything but then as he brought her attention back to the dress issue, she started to stress about that. "No, not yet. Maybe you should help me with that. I don't know what you'd like."

Artemis smiled at her response. He was actually a bit surprised and flattered that she'd care enough about his opinion in her choice of dress. Normally she never afforded him this consideration. "Of course, Holly. Let's return to the first floor."

As they headed back towards the escalator, Holly noticed the beauty salon. She sincerely wished she could get a hair cut. Ever since she'd been growing it out, which after the partnering, had not taken long at all, it had become uneven and shapeless. But she wasn't about to mention anything. Besides, how could she have a human cut her hair without noticing her ears?

Artemis sensed Holly longing for something but feeling disappointed. He looked at her, puzzled by her emotions. "What is it, Holly?"

"Huh? Nothing. I didn't say anything."

"I know you didn't say anything. What's wrong? Something is bothering you."

Holly looked at the floor. Artemis was getting better at this 'empath' thing. It was going to be extremely difficult if not impossible to hide anything from him. "I... um. I was just thinking I'd like to have my hair cut since it's pretty long now and it's a bit shaggy."

"Oh. Is that all? Then get your hair styled Holly. I don't mind waiting."

"It's not that simple, Arty," she shifted. "My ears..."

Realization struck Artemis with those two small words. "Ah. I see. Well, we'll just have to take extra precautions." He extended his hand to Holly who belligerently accepted it, suspicious of him.

Artemis walked up to the receptionist at the salon with Holly's hand in his own. The young blonde woman greeted him with artificial friendliness. "Welcome. How can we assist you today?"

"Who is your most requested stylist?" Artemis inquired tersely.

The receptionist was taken aback by the young man's direct question. "T-that would be Gina, sir."

"Good. I would like a private audience with Ms. Gina. Promptly." Artemis ordered the woman.

The receptionist frowned. Who did this kid think he was? Or maybe... who did he _know _he was, she thought as she examined both him and his companions. He was far too well dressed for a jaunt to the store. The giant man at his right was a bodyguard no doubt. The two women who accompanied him were both beautiful and had their arms littered with shopping bags. _Maybe he's a pimp for high-class prostitutes... The ones the politicians use. Or the son of a politician with hired escorts._ She reasoned she would be best to comply with his request, or demand as it sounded. She left to retrieve Gina who was just finishing with a client.

Gina approached Artemis cautiously. The receptionist had told Gina her assumption of Artemis and that he had requested her specifically for a private meeting. If he was trying to recruit her, he'd have to offer her some serious money for her to even consider it. "Hello sir, I'm Gina. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister...?"

"Artemis Fowl. A pleasure." he moderately managed a polite reply. "Where can we speak privately?"

Gina didn't recognize the name and was slightly surprised by his Irish accent. _A foreigner..._ "The esthetician's room is free." She led Artemis towards to room. Artemis never released Holly's hand as they walked towards the back of the salon.

Upon entering, Artemis could see this room was for waxing and massage services. There was also a single station with a stylist's chair and a counter that rolled away to reveal a shampooing station. "This will suit perfectly."

Gina was more than nervous being behind closed doors with this young man. It had only mildly comforted her that he had the small girl tag along with him but that didn't necessarily mean anything. He could still have something devious planned. Gina swallowed hard trying to hide her nerves.

Artemis spoke to the spooked hairdresser. "My fiancé requires your services."

_Fiancé?_ She blinked briefly to peer at Holly who seemed equally anxious. "Which services are those, sir?"

Artemis frowned. "You are a stylist, are you not?"

Gina released her breath that she'd unconsciously been holding. _Oh... thank god._ "Yes, I am. Would you like to make an appointment? I'm afraid I am booked up for the rest of the day but I'll be back on Thursday..."

Artemis raised his hand to silence her. "No, you will service Holly immediately. Your appointments will wait."

Gina gaped and Holly frowned. "Arty, you can't be serious. I don't need a hair cut _that_ badly. Leave the other poor customers alone."

Artemis ignored her and continued to press the stylist. "If it is a matter of money..."

"It isn't, sir. I would love to assist your lovely fiancé but I simply do not have time today." Gina apologized.

The next words that Artemis spoke were layered with the hypnotic effects of the mesmer_._ _"You will make time."_

Gina's eyes fluttered as a strange sensation overcame her. "Make time… Right. I can make time. I have… plenty of time." Gina replied in a daze.

_"Yes. You will provide Holly with your services immediately. During which, you will notice nothing extraordinary about her ears."_

"Immediately. Ears... nothing extraordinary. Of course."

Holly was stunned. He had told her how he mesmered his parents when he came back from Hybras but she'd never actually heard it issue from him herself. "Arty..."

Artemis looked at her as if nothing out of the ordinary just taken place. "Yes?" he asked innocently.

Holly tried to fight her smirk but failed miserably.

"What is it?" he asked, questioning her expression.

Holly bit her bottom lip before composing her reply. "It's nothing. It's just your mesmer voice is... pretty sexy." she smiled almost bashfully.

Artemis smiled playfully at her. "Too bad I can't use it on you."

"Well, technically you could, it just wouldn't be lawful. Not that _that's_ stopped you before. But still, it would be unnecessary. If you want anything from me you simply need to ask, love." she replied. Her words were laden with hidden meaning.

The playful smile died on his lips as he processed her words. Maybe Gina would need to leave them here once she was finished with Holly's hair.

Gina deftly washed Holly's hair and combed it out, taking no note at her pointed ears. Artemis watched over her protectively, making sure his mesmer remained effective. Gina styled Holly's hair into a bob cut, hanging just above her shoulders. Holly smiled approvingly at her reflection while Gina sprayed her hair with hairspray.

"There you are." Gina handed Holly a mirror and spun her in the chair so that she could look at the back of her head. "What do you think?"

Holly smiled appreciatively. "Very nice. Thank you. What do you think, Arty?"

"Beautiful." He pulled out his wallet to pay the stylist. He handed her a generous sum in cash without counting it. "Thank you, Gina... for taking the time out of your busy schedule." He immediately took Holly's hand to leave before his wicked thoughts from earlier overruled his better judgment.

Gina blinked a bit puzzled by the strange customer she'd just serviced. _Wait... my schedule? I didn't have time to work on her!_ she thought, then _Wait, did he just hand me five hundred pounds?_

Holly and Artemis emerged from the back room, Holly's hair nicely cut and styled. Juliet and Butler sat in the lounge area waiting. Juliet was showing off some of the purchases to Butler, not all of which were for Holly. Artemis motioned that they were all set and they all left the salon together.

Arriving at the dress department on the first floor, Artemis easily dismissed Juliet to pick out something for herself. He decided it was safer to look at modest dresses without her. He did, however, keep Holly at his side. He didn't want anyone getting any ideas about him looking at dresses. He searched through the various dresses he thought appropriate and correctly sized for Holly. He pulled out several black cocktail dresses and handed them to her. Not long after, they were once again attacked by a clerk. "May I be of any assistance?"

"Yes. Please show her to a fitting room." he answered the clerk without looking at her. He was checking the size of another dress he'd pulled out. "This one too." he handed it to Holly.

Holly followed the clerk, all eight dresses in hand, to the fitting room. Artemis turned to speak with Butler, lingering in the aisle. "I will be with Holly, helping her decide on her dress. You may stay on nearby but make yourself scarce. I would like _privacy_." he reached for Butler's third button of his jacket to remove the signal disruptor clipped to it. Butler quirked an eyebrow at his actions to which Artemis only gave him a very level reply. "You wear it for my privacy. It only makes sense that I wear it myself." Butler didn't argue. He'd always worn the device for Artemis. He was obviously planning something socially questionable.

The clerk placed all the dresses in the private room for Holly to try on. "Please let me know if I can be of any assistance."

Holly nodded in reply and locked the door behind her.

The clerk turned around only to find Artemis standing silently behind her. She jumped, clasping her chest with her hand. "Oh! Sir, you startled me."

Artemis was unrepentant. He was already in stealth mode. _"You may leave, I will find you if we require assistance."_

The clerk blinked sleepily. "O-of course, sir."

Holly had on the second dress from the pile. She examined her reflection in the mirror, none too impressed by it and decided to discard it along with the first. She reached over to the hooks where the dresses hung and grabbed the next most likely candidate. She stood in front of the mirror, and looked down as she stepped into the dress. When she reached to pull up the dress, she felt a gentle breath against her neck and her eyes instantly shot to the mirror. Artemis stood directly behind her, studying her half nude body.

"D'Arvit! Artemis!" she hissed. "You're gonna give me heart attack one of these days! I thought I locked the door!"

Artemis smiled his signature vampire smile to her reflection in the mirror. "You did." His voice was low and quiet. He placed his hands on her hips and pushed down the garment she managed to half-dress into.

Holly's breath hitched as she realized his intent. "Artemis, stop! What if there's cameras?" Panic evident in her voice.

"If there is, they won't see anything but static." The disruptor would block any camera or microphone within a twenty-foot radius. If anyone nearby had intentions on shoplifting, they would be successful thanks to Artemis's stunt.

Holly's gaze traveled between the reflection of Artemis's determined stare to her own alarmed expression. It was odd and a bit erotic to watch herself being seduced.

"I do like your new panty set but it will have to go for the time being." He pinched the clasp of her bra as he spoke and the garment fell forward. Artemis ran his hands over her shoulders, pushing the straps of the bra down and completely free from her body.

Holly watched her own reflection, mesmerized by his actions. She wondered why she wasn't fighting him off. This was completely unacceptable. Not to mention she would probably be sore tomorrow if not later that night. She had been so successful so far at teasing him without retribution. What had gone wrong and why was she allowing this? Exactly how far did he intend to take this _here_, she wondered briefly, only to receive her answer as he pushed her panties down to her ankles. As she stared at her own nude body in front of his fully clothed one, she felt her resolve fizzle only to be replaced by arousal.

Artemis's hands reached around her waist. He held her tight against himself, pressing the evidence of his own arousal against her ass. He watched her reflection to gauge her reaction. She was not protesting to his advances and he was quite certain he had made his motive very clear by this point. When he could feel her breathing becoming clipped, he kissed the crook of her neck while one hand traveled up and the other down.

Holly writhed as Artemis placed harsh, open-mouthed kisses along her neck. She bit her lip as his hand groped her breast roughly. She began to moan as his other hand slipped between her thighs, rubbing her slick and swollen clit.

"You need to be quiet. Do you understand?" he whispered against her skin.

Holly nodded, knowing she was unable to speak at the time being.

"Good." He pushed her feet apart with his own, returning one hand to her hip while the other pressed against the small of her back. Holly leaned forward, placing her hands on each side of the full-length mirror to brace herself. Having placed her in position, Artemis reached for his belt buckle.

Holly's eyes cinched together as she heard the sound of his fly zipping down. "Oh, gods... please..." she moaned quietly.

Artemis smiled darkly at her bent over, pleading form. As he aligned his erect member at her entrance, he heard her begin to whimper. He stared at the image in front of him. His own wild expression with Holly bent before him. She tried to push back against him but he held her hips firmly in place. He was purposefully torturing her by taking his sweet time.

"Artemis... please!" she continued to beg when he refused her any penetration.

Before the words had even finished coming from her mouth, he shoved himself inside of her. A quiet grunt escaped from his lips as he registered how tight she'd become over the weeks of abstinence. Holly almost bit through the skin of her lip as she felt him completely filling her. She strangled her cries as he slowly removed everything but the very tip of his cock from within her, only to immediately thrust back into her with increased force.

He kept one hand on her hip while the other threaded into her hair, fisting it and pulling her back against him. This position would have never worked for them when she was shorter. Holly's back arched against him, a small cry escaped as he tugged against her hair.

"Holly. Open your eyes." His voice sounded husky. She complied and gasped at the sight. She looked at Artemis's dark, predatory smile to her own desperate, heavily lidded eyes.

"Do you see how beautiful you are, Holly? Do you see what you do to me? I'm fucking you in a goddamn change room!" he shoved into her repeatedly while he spoke, making his words sound strained. Her now heavier breasts hung down, swinging with each thrust. Artemis bent over her back, one of his hands snaking it's way around her hip to rub her throbbing clit. The soft flutter of his expensive clothes against her bare body made her feel unusually exposed, and thrilled.

Holly moaned as her senses were assaulted. The physical, visual and verbal stimuli sent her over the edge. Her walls clamped down against his shaft and Artemis immediately removed his hand from her hair to cover her mouth. He managed to muffle her scream well enough. As she came, he continued to plow into her, reveling in the way her spasming muscles massaged and stroked his length.

As wonderful as her climax had felt, it wasn't enough. She rolled her hips against him, matching his rhythm of penetration. Artemis realized she still needed more and was going to need to hold out a bit longer. He didn't mind this at all but withdrew and spun her around to face him. His mouth instantly found hers and they tangled in an embrace.

Holly whimpered at the loss of him inside her. Still, she managed to kiss him in return with equal ferocity. Artemis began to push her back towards the mirror. She clawed at the knot of his tie until it came lose and she whipped it off. He kissed her neck and shoulder while she began to work on the buttons his shirt. His hands traced up and down her hips while she raked her nails against his chest and abdomen. The sensation set a burning fire deep in the pit of his stomach and unconsciously he pinned her pelvis against the mirror with his own. He ground against her, desperate for penetration. Holly panted shamelessly as she felt him at her entrance, her ass pressed against the cool glass. He continued to suck at her neck and she tilted her head to grant him better access.

When Artemis could feel she had no where left to go, barely mobile against his pin on her, his hands slid down her hips to her thighs. Holly interlaced her fingers behind his neck as she could feel him lifting her up against the wall and himself. With both her legs straddled around his waist, he thrust back into her pussy, finding any relaxation from her previous orgasm already gone, only to be replaced by tight contracting spasms. The force of gravity pushed her down onto him hard, and she could tell this is the deepest he'd ever been in her. He drove firm thrusts into her, momentarily unconcerned about the banging noise their movements were creating.

Holly's moans were hushed slightly as Artemis returned to occupy her mouth with his own. As he grabbed at the back of her thighs roughly, Holly worried about feeling this later but pushed the thought immediately aside. She broke the kiss, turning her head to gasp for air. Noise forgotten, all her brain registered was every inch of her was surrounded by Artemis, including the reflection behind her. He continued to pound into her and several not-quiet-enough sounds escaped from her. The cries were breaking his resolve to silence her, but he had no desire to be banned from Harrod's. He again forced his mouth to hers, invading her mouth with his tongue.

Her walls closed down in a tight squeeze against him. Holly was thankful that his mouth was still shielding her scream as her orgasm rocked her body. Artemis could feel the sudden increase in moisture against their coupled sexes and lost all resolve. He relinquished her lips and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His eyes cinched closed tightly as his climax hit. Holly heard a small, strangled grunt from him before she felt the hot cum shoot into her body. His entire body shuddered against hers as he rested his forehead against her shoulder, panting and gasping for air.

After regaining enough oxygen and blood to his brain, he withdrew from her and slowly set her down on her feet. He was sore, sweaty and tired, but satisfied nonetheless. He stepped back to examine Holly's expression. She appeared to be feeling the same. He worried that this may have been too much for her physically right now.

"Are you OK? Are you sore?" he huffed out.

Holly shook her head. "No, actually. I feel... great."

Artemis smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead. Holly wrapped her arms around him and felt his heart pounding away. She smirked to herself as she thought there was at least some type of physical activity he enjoyed.

Holly used some of the tissue that was used to wrap the clothing she was wearing earlier to wipe the now sweaty mirror, and clean herself up. She jammed it into the bottom of the bag, beneath the clothes she'd originally worn to the store that day. She scrambled back into her bra and panties as she saw Artemis in the mirror tucking his re-buttoned shirt into his pants.

"So, what provoked that?" she asked, feigning irritation.

Artemis chuckled, a bit embarrassed by his honest reply. "Weeks of pent up frustration."

Holly's lips crept into a sly smile. "I knew I'd break you sooner or later."

Artemis wrapped his arms around her, now fully clothed aside from the untied neck tie draped around his collar. He tenderly kissed her forehead. "It's not just sexual frustration, Holly. I love you. I want to be with you, in every way. Not even _want_ but _need._ You are a part of me."

Holly could feel herself blushing slightly and buried her face against him and held him close to her. He held her, fingers combing through her hair. He tried to fix the mess he'd made of her previously nicely styled hair. Holly realized what he was doing and was suddenly worried about how she would appear upon exiting the change room.

"Oh gods. How bad is my hair?" she said as she released him to look at herself in the mirror. It was a mess. "D'Arvit!" She ran her fingers through it and managed to smooth it out enough to appear decent. Suddenly aware she was only wearing her bra and panties, she looked at the pile of her clothes on the floor then to the stack of dresses on the hooks. She had to choose a dress still.

As Holly sorted through the remaining dresses, Artemis stood in front of mirror, fixing his tie and hair. He could see in the reflection behind him she was examining the dresses. "You haven't chosen yet?"

"No. They all fit kinda strange."

"You could always have it altered." he suggested.

"No it's not that. It's like, they don't suit me, I guess."

Artemis turned to join her in her examination of the remaining options. He chose one off the hooks and handed it to her. "Here. This cut would be flattering on you. Tighter than I'd prefer to take you out in public, maybe. But you would look very nice in it... _maybe too nice."_ he muttered the last part, uncomfortable with anyone else seeing just how shapely she really was.

Holly took the dress, realizing he never intended her to try them all on, he just wanted to buy some time. She unzipped the back, smiling wryly and she stepped into it. She stood in front of the mirror as she placed her arms through the straps and pulled it up. Artemis zipped the back of the dress for her. As he suspected, she was gorgeous in it. He smiled at her approvingly.

She beamed at the reflection. The little black Herve Leger dress was clingy around her body. The bandage style straps where just wide enough to feel supportive yet thin enough to still reveal her shoulders and collar line. The sweetheart neckline accented her bust line without showing too much cleavage. The hemline clung around her mid-thighs, revealing her shapely legs. She turned to smile at Artemis. "If the other dresses were just a ruse, how did you know this one would look so good?"

"Because I know everything." he smiled.

Holly narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, we're in a fitting room. Why don't you try on some modesty while we're here?"

"I tried once. It wasn't a very good fit." he said, very smug.

Holly rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever. We're getting this one." Holly stripped out of the dress and handed it to Artemis. He gave her another peck on the lips before leaving to take the dress to purchase. Now alone, Holly quickly dressed and checked herself out one more time. _Okay... project 'not guilty'._ Regardless of her mental pep talk, she could feel herself blush when Butler saw her emerge only moments after Artemis. _Frond, does he know? I think he knows. Oh gods he knows! _She knew she must've been right when she saw Artemis and Butler's silent exchange. Butler looked at his charge with reproach and Artemis only returned the look with an indignant scowl. When you've been with someone since birth, communication sometimes comes without words.

Before they left the store, Holly acquired a pair of strappy black heels that she knew she was going to have to practice with before the party so she didn't land on her ass. She also got a clutch bag that Artemis had picked out to go with the dress. She almost fainted when she saw the £2600.00 price tag. It was more than the £1200.00 and £800.00 shoes combined. Why on earth was something so small so expensive, she wondered. Apparently, as Juliet had educated her, it was due to the fact that some important person designed it and therefore his name was attached to it. Holly failed to see how that attached value to the item. The handbag purchase was both a necessity for her outfit and a distraction. While Juliet went on and on about purses to Holly, Artemis picked up his watch from the counter. He was back before Holly ever noticed he was gone.

On the plane ride home Holly slept, quite soundly. Artemis looked lovingly on her sleeping form, full of concern. He wondered if satisfying his frustration was worth any risk it posed to Holly. She hadn't complained about being in any pain yet and he didn't sense any deception in her reassurances otherwise. The truth was, she was just tired from shopping. It must have been at least five hours they'd been running around the store and doing... other things. It had worn her out.

Artemis wondered if Holly's growth spurt was done. He'd already had her engagement ring resized twice since he'd given it to her. He knew he'd have to take her dress shopping again relatively soon. This time, for a wedding dress. He didn't want to buy something only to find it not fit a week later. He figured he could probably find out if she was done growing based on the concentration of growth hormone in her blood. He'd run some tests when they got home.

After the plane had landed, Holly sleepily walked off, only to fall back asleep in the back seat of the Bentley. Artemis was a bit worried as to why she was so tired. Holly was a ball of energy normally. Even during this painful growth spurt, she hadn't let it slow her down. When they got home, he helped her to bed and explained to her he was going to run a blood test on her. He'd have to process it himself. Who knew what Holly's blood would look like to human chemists? Thankfully, the Fowls were equipped with a laboratory at the manor that Myles nearly lived in lately. Butler was trained in basic medicine and could draw her blood painlessly.

* * *

Hours later, Holly finally awoke, starving. The lunch she got at the store was a light one and it was well past dinner now. She stumbled out of bed, surprised to find no sign of Artemis. She noticed a small piece of gauze taped to the inside of her elbow and remembered vaguely something about him wanting to run a blood test. She wanted to know what he was looking for in her blood. She also worried how'd he do a test on her fairy blood without raising questions. Holly scurried out of the room and down the stairs, looking for him frantically.

Artemis sat in the conference room, depleting his father's supply of whiskey. He stared down at the report the lab's computer printed. He'd tried to find another explanation for what he was seeing on the analysis. Still, he knew enough about human biology to know that regardless of her growth spurt, levels this high of beta human chorionic gonadotropin could only mean one thing. What he didn't understand, was how.

Holly finally found Artemis sitting at the conference table, _drinking._ The odd sight set her nerves on edge. Artemis _hated_ drinking. "What's wrong?" she asked. When he turned to look at her, she could feel her heart sink when she saw his expression. He appeared guilty, sad and scared all at once.

Artemis stood to meet her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his head on top of hers. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper and still came out sounding strangled. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I was just tired. I'm not sore, Arty, just hungry. I promise... is that what you're stressing about?" Holly blurted out.

"I was. Holly - " he started, then pulled her away just enough that he could look at her eyes. "I got the results to your blood work. It was not as I expected." he tried to speak as level as possible.

Holly swallowed hard as she felt her heart leap into her throat. "W-what is it?" she stuttered.

"Holly, you're... you're _pregnant._"

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Okay, yeah. Most of you saw that coming. I hope you liked it though. How was the smut? You likey? You know the drill by now… 10 reviews gets the next chapter. 19 and 20 are close runners-up in the Personal Favorite category. Hope all you new readers will love 'em too.**


	19. Minerva's Soiree

**A/N: Biggest stinkin' chapter yet! This chapter does and does not contain smut. :) There is a 'scene' in here that would definitely give this chapter an M rating, but it is not intended for panty-soaking so much as for comedy-related purposes. *I* thought it was funny as hell. I hope you will too.**

**So the Trouble's triplets names are revealed! Two of the three names I picked out of the reviews from the first time this story was posted. THANK YOU TO YOU ALL for all your wonderful suggestions (I know some of you are reading this story again). It was funny to see that several readers chose names that I was already thinking of and it was a consistent theme that elf women have nature names. (Holly, Lili, Coral). So, the third name was my editor's choice. They are all 'tree' names.**

**I want to thank all of you for following this story so faithfully. This story is nearing its completion so please review these last few chapters so I can reach my goal of 300 reviews. REVIEWs PLEASE! K, thx.**

* * *

_No, no, no, no..._ Holly's mind was reeling. She wasn't supposed to be fertile. She wasn't due to ovulate for another four years. How could she be pregnant? And yet, that is exactly what she was somehow.

"How?" she asked Artemis, who was looking even paler than usual.

Artemis shook his head. "I'm not sure. I have a few theories, but no way to test them. Our pairing is such an unlikely one that I have no statistical data to reference. I can only presume that it is also the result of the partnering. Your body was radically altered. Anything is possible."

Holly blinked rapidly, trying to compute this revelation. _I'm pregnant... with Artemis's child. A _human's _child..._

"I think we should notify The People. Your kind is far more medically advanced. Plus, a human doctor would not be equipped to handle your anatomy. Holly - " he paused, uncomfortable with his statement, "you need to decide what you will do. I will back your decision whatever it is."

Holly looked at him, miffed. "What decision is that?"

Artemis sighed. "Holly. We don't know what a life for this child would be like. Yes there have been hybrids before that have lived successfully as humans. But that's just it, Holly. You and I are going to live a lot longer than most humans. Our child would most likely have an average human life span as the other hybrids did. Aside from that, if you've conceived rather recently, which by the concentration levels of b-hCG in your blood suggests you have, we were most likely _both_ magical at the time of conception, making this child the offspring of two magical parents. He or she may have inherited that, which could be a good thing, increasing their life span but could make living on the surface rather difficult. There are so many unknowns here, Holly. Do you feel comfortable proceeding?"

Holly understood his apprehension but was still irked at what he was implying. "Artemis. There is no choice to be made here. Do you understand?"

Artemis looked at her apologetically. "Of course. Forget I said anything, Holly. I'm just... scared. For you."

Holly felt incredibly guilty. She had told Artemis she was temporarily unfertile. She knew, no matter how unlikely or minute the chance was of her conceiving, that unprotected sex _could_ result in pregnancy. When she made the assumption they would be safe without anything, she gave him a false security. Now he was forced into fatherhood before he was even out of puberty.

Artemis could sense her emotions and was exasperated by them. "Holly, what on earth do _you_ feel guilty about?"

"I misled you. I didn't think it could happen, but there was a chance... a very, _very_ small chance..." Her voice sounded small and choked.

"Holly, you did not 'mislead' me. I have an advanced understanding of biology and I realized there was always a minor risk. It was I who chose to act without discretion." Artemis told her, accepting full responsibility.

Holly slid her arms around Artemis, also terrified of the situation they found themselves in. "How far along?"

"I can't be certain. I don't know enough about elves' reproduction to make a reasonable estimate. But if your hormone concentration levels are any indication of a human pregnancy, I wouldn't say any more than four weeks. It's still very early."

Realization donned on Holly. _Four weeks ago... the partnering..._ "The tingly jizz..."

"I'm sorry?" Artemis asked, bewildered by her comment.

"After the partnering, we made love. Your semen felt… odd. It gave me a strange, hot-tingly sensation. I never felt it before and never again since. Maybe it really _was_ magic, Arty." she smiled weakly as she made reference to his smug remark back at that occasion.

Artemis considered it. "It's very possible. The timing would line up. Also you and I may have become more compatible after both the magical infusion on my part and the partnering. Still, that would have suggested you ovulated prior to that without menstruation. There have been instances in human accounts where 'over-stimulation' had resulted in an unscheduled ovulation. Perhaps our 'ambitious lifestyle' resulted in triggering the release of an ovum."

Holly's breath came in ragged pulls. "So, what now?"

Artemis held her against himself, running his fingers through her hair. He took mild comfort in knowing he was not alone in his fears. Still, he reasoned he was not the one with the actual offspring growing inside his body and thus, should try to be the comforter. Regardless of his physical age.

"Holly, I will make contact with Foaly. We will acquire assistance from the fairy people and… everything will be fine. In the meantime, you will need to tell me everything you know about elf gestation. For one thing, how long does it take to reach full-term?"

"Umm, gestation is usually 20-24 months, boys take a bit longer. I know that's probably weird to a human but that's just how we work."

Artemis was finding the fact gathering rather fascinating and also a welcome reprieve from his emotional distress. "Interesting. So our child is due anytime from 8 to 23 months. Well that's a rather broad window..." he trailed off.

Holly let a small smile play across her lips when he said 'our child'. The realization was starting to settle in. She was having a child. They were having a child. Their child.

* * *

Down in the Lower Elements, Foaly was still cleaning out his personal files from the hard drives in the LEP Ops Booth computers. Birch McBride nearly passed out when he learned he was being promoted. He'd been Foaly's apprentice for over six decades and figured the centaur wouldn't leave his job until he died. But when his wife had threatened him with divorce over how demanding the job was of his time and attention, he gave his notice in order to save his marriage.

Foaly was, in all honesty, extremely depressed about leaving the LEP. He managed to work out a contract position with Commander Vinyaya about staying on with just Section 8 on a part-time basis. Now that Hybras was back to real-time and the demons were safe and sound, Section 8 was pretty quiet. He was not going to be in Intelligence anymore, which, was a bit of a let-down. But Vinyaya had been able to hire him on as a consultant for Research and Development, which he was already heading up to begin with. So even though he might be stuck with PPTV until he could learn how to hijack human satellites without LEP equipment, he still was happy to be working on developing new technologies for the good of The People. He was more happy above anything else, to have a happy wife to come home to.

Foaly continued to rummage through the files. He didn't keep much on the computers since it wasn't the safest place to store information. Still, it was best to cover every possible avenue to clean out anything personal. He was working away on one of the terminals when he was alerted he had a video chat request. Foaly cocked an eyebrow at the message. Only one person could have hacked this far in. Foaly clicked accept only to has his assumption confirmed.

"Hello, Artemis." he greeted the image on the screen. "How are things?"

Artemis spared him no formal greeting. "Foaly. Holly and I are in need of your assistance." Artemis looked rather stressed. This worried Foaly as Artemis rarely allowed circumstances, especially stressful ones, to overrule his emotions. He was forever the tactician.

"What is it?" Foaly asked, wary of what was going on.

"Holly and I... well, Holly is..." Artemis stammered on while he nervously fidgeted, tucking the hair that shrouded his eye back behind his ear.

Foaly was growing impatient. "What? 'Holly is' what?"

Artemis looked slightly nauseous. Maybe it was because he _was _slightly nauseous. "Holly is pregnant."

There was at least an entire minute of silence, during which Foaly's mouth moved, but nothing was said. Foaly wasn't processing the information. It was too radical. "I'm sorry, Artemis. I thought I heard you say that Holly is _pregnant._ Would you mind repeating yourself?"

Artemis scowled. "You heard me correctly. Now, as you can imagine, the situation is a rather unique one, thus I need to expertise of the People. I require the aid of a medical warlock. If the practician isn't willing to come to the manor, we will come there."

"Wait, wait, Artemis. Are you certain? She _really is_ pregnant?" Foaly asked, shock evident in his voice.

Artemis nodded. "Yes. I did the blood work myself. I am certain."

Foaly swallowed nervously. "All right, I'll talk to the Council. I'm sure they will help. Holly is their responsibility. They authorized her to live on the surface with you. They should have figured something like this could happen. If you were to take her to a human doctor and who knows that they find... then what happens after that?" he asked rhetorically before continuing. "They'll send someone. I'll keep in contact with you. How are _you_ doing, Artemis?"

Artemis rolled his eyes. "How do you think I'm doing? My partner who I'm only _engaged_ to is already pregnant while I'm still a teenager! How am I supposed to be a father when I'm barely an adult myself?"

_Should have thought about that before you started screwing around..._ "Artemis, you're a very mature young man. Holly's a sharp elf. You also have the support of your family. You'll be just fine."

Artemis scoffed. "Right, of course. Everything will just mystically work itself out because I _will_ it to." he said sarcastically.

Foaly smirked. "With you Artemis, I find that is usually the case." he paused. "Well, I don't know what is in the Irish waters but apparently we're not filtering it out down in Haven. Holly's not the only pregnant elf right now."

This peaked Artemis's curiosity. "Who? Who else is pregnant?"

"Lili Frond. Want to take a wild guess who Daddy is?" Foaly said, biting the insides of his cheeks.

Artemis had to hide his dirty grin behind his hand. "_No_... Commander Kelp?"

"Bingo! Give this man a prize! Get this elf's luck- he knocks up Lili, with not one, no... not two, but THREE, yes THREE children!" The boisterous guffaws Foaly burst out in were completely infectious and Artemis was soon joining him in a laugh at the Commander's expense.

"Oh gods! Are you serious? He's having _triplets?" _Artemis choked out, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Yep. All _girls_! I wouldn't want to be the dad of three of Lili's daughters all hitting puberty at once." Foaly continued to laugh between his words.

Artemis suddenly went completely silent as he considered a thought. "Foaly. What if Holly is having multiples?" he asked in a hushed voice, almost as if he spoke at full volume an unholy curse would fall upon him.

Foaly also stilled. "It's incredibly unlikely..."

"Right. Just like triplets are incredibly unlikely and an elf conceiving from her human lover years before she's supposed to ovulate are incredibly unlikely." Artemis added sourly.

"I'll get that medic up there as soon as I can. In the meantime Artemis, don't give yourself an ulcer." Foaly tried to reassure him.

"Thank you, Foaly. Please do stay in contact. I have my phone with me always so if you can't get me on video, just ring."

"Gotcha. Hey, for what it's worth Artemis, congratulations." Foaly smiled warmly at him.

Artemis smiled back weakly. "Many thanks..."

* * *

Trouble and Lili were living on their own now. Even though Trouble was more than pleased to be away from her parents, there were downsides too, of course. They couldn't afford staff. Therefore dinners were cooked by Lili herself and any and all housework was her job. However, being pregnant with triplets tends to take a lot out of a girl, and so the house was generally a constant sty and cooked meals had become more and more scarce lately. They also weren't living in a what one might call a 'ritzy' neighborhood. Sure, Trouble could support them on his salary, but not luxuriously. Trouble did miss the perks of living with her family, but they never out weighed the benefits of not having to deal with her crazy father.

Lili was finding pregnancy to be far worse than she imagined. She thought that pregnancy was about 'the miracle of life - growing inside of you!' This was, as she very quickly realized, a lie. Yes, it was definitely exciting the first time she heard the girls' heart beats on the Doppler, but that only gave her mild reprieve from the constant nausea, aches, bloating and veracious appetite. Her doctor had told her she'd put on more weight than what was recommended for this stage in her pregnancy but Lili justified it as the weight of three children verses one.

Lili already knew her three children were all girls. She had two female embryos implanted and one had split. Natural triplets were possible. VERY unlikely, but possible. Both ovaries could ovulate simultaneously, both eggs fertilize as with fraternal twins, except one splits and becomes in itself identical twins. Because this was the case with her, Trouble never suspected that she had IVF, regardless of the unlikelihood of the occurrence.

Since Lili knew the genders, she had their names already decided. They would be natural names, as most female elves were. Lili had gone over possible names with Trouble for the children but he never seemed to be too excited about the fact that he didn't have a son in amongst _all_ those children. So she had chosen the names by herself. Hazel, Willow, and Ash. When she proposed them to Trouble, he just grunted, indifferent.

Now that the news of her pregnancy was out, General Frond was pushing for them to get married _immediately_. No one dared propose partnership, but he wanted to maintain his family's upstanding image in the well-to-do elf community. Lili was far too excited to keep the news to herself and blabbed to just about everyone she saw. Of course, one of those people was Foaly… and thus, the entire force knew. Lili didn't mind getting married sooner rather than later. It gave Kelp less chance to change his mind and disappear. So now they had a wedding scheduled for next month.

Trouble had taken Lili to a bridal boutique in Haven to find a dress. He sat in a chair outside the fitting room, reading impatiently, waiting for hours for her to decide on something, anything! Occasionally, she'd emerge and ask him his opinion. He didn't care what the dress looked like. He cared about the price tag attached to it. Trouble looked at the first dress and tried to convince her to settle on it, simply so they could leave. But his tune changed when he saw how much it cost. He couldn't justify spending so much on a dress she'd wear only for a couple of hours and then never again. Frankly, he didn't even understand why they were having this type of 'human' ceremony. These style weddings were becoming increasing popular amongst the People as they were exposed to more and more Mud Men media. It wasn't going to be exactly the same of the Christian customs adopted by the Mud Men that lived above them, but it certainly wasn't a traditional Druidic custom either. But this is what Lili wanted, so Trouble didn't argue. It was dangerous to argue.

"What about this one?" Lili came out and swirled around in a huge white gown.

"Very nice, how much?" Trouble barely afforded her a glace away from his book.

"Only two ounces." Lili innocently professed as she admired her reflection.

Trouble choked. _"Two ounces?_ D'Arvit, Lili, I'm not going to blow that on a dress you're going to wear once!"

"Relax, honey. Daddy said he'd pay." she finally told Trouble before turning her attention to the store clerk. "I like this one."

The clerk took the dress and Lili paid for it herself. Trouble was wondering why he even came along if her dad was paying for the dress. He thought the stupid mud-man custom was he wasn't supposed to see her dress for some reason. Trouble had only see a wedding of this style on a bootlegged DVD movie that had been confiscated before the B'wa Kell rebellion. It seemed like a strange style of ceremony. More like just an excuse for a wild party. He hoped 'Daddy' planned on paying for that too.

As the two of them left the boutique, they walked together down the shopping plaza. Trouble would never shop in this district. To rich for him. But this was Lili's territory and thus, here he was. The elf couple was about to head into another store when Trouble heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Hey there, Kelp. Wedding shopping?" Foaly asked as he approached Trouble. He had Caballine with him who also had several shopping bags in hand.

"Yes, we just got my dress!" Lili blurted out.

"How lovely, Lili. We're really happy for the two of you. When is the date set for?" Caballine asked her.

"August 12th." Lili said.

Foaly smiled. He loved the defeated expression that seemed to grace the Commander's face at all times. He couldn't resist the urge to twist the knife that was already jabbed into Trouble's stomach. He really disliked this elf. "August 12th, eh? Well, you're going to beat Holly and Artemis to the alter then. Theirs is set for October 6th."

Trouble glared at Foaly. "They're getting married?" he asked incredulously.

Foaly grinned like a complete idiot. It was so fun to be the one to drop news like this and watch people's reaction. "Oh yeah. After they got partnered, Artemis asked her for a human marriage. So they're having a wedding. You know, since weddings are kind of a human thing and he's well, human. At least mostly."

Trouble had to back up the reply in his mind. "They got _partnered?_ Successfully? Not possible. He's not an elf." He remembered the two of them talking about it before she moved to the surface but thought it would just blow up in their faces when they figured it couldn't be done since Artemis had no magic of his own.

"Not possible for an elf warlock. No.1 did it for them. Yeah, she really changed after, you know, _grew_. She's almost human height now. I guess partnering has some strange side effects. I doubt either of them would have rushed to it if they knew that she'd conceive immediately afterwards..." Foaly's hand flew to cover his mouth. He did want to see Trouble squirm about the two of them being together. He hadn't intended to mention the baby.

Both Trouble's and Lili's eyes bugged out. "She's pregnant?" they said in unison. Caballine swatted her husband on the arm. This was her typical reaction to each and every time his big mouth got him in trouble.

"Umm... well, you see... it's early. The medic hasn't even been up to see them yet." Foaly stammered.

Trouble scowled fiercely. This was most disturbing news. He'd see to it that he personally escorted the medic to Fowl Manor. Maybe he could help Holly see the light.

* * *

The weekend had come and Holly and Artemis (along with Butler) were planning to attend Minerva's party. Artemis had tried desperately to get Holly to give him permission to cancel. He was trying to use her pregnancy as an excuse but even he knew it was a weak argument. All things considered, Holly was doing pretty good with her pregnancy. She was probably about five weeks in and really didn't feel too much different so far. She did tend to have a day here or there where she just seemed to be exhausted but other than that, she carried on with her normal activities. She wasn't going to let her extremely expensive outfit sit in storage without use. She'd even been practicing with the stupid shoes so she didn't land on her ass. She was more than happy her feet had yet to blow up from pregnancy swelling.

Holly had to have the dress altered to let the bust out slightly. She also ordered a new bra online that came just two days ago. When Holly shopped online, she really wondered why Artemis bothered to take her to Harrod's in the first place. Then she discovered the stupid watch he had bought that day and realized the shopping trip wasn't for her sole benefit.

As Artemis finished with his bow tie, he reached for the new watch. Holly once again decided to yell at him about it. "I can't believe you bought another watch, Arty! Seriously. How many do you own? And I'm sure it wasn't exactly cheap. How much did you spend on that stupid thing?"

Artemis tugged at the bottom of his tux jacket before turning from the mirror to face her. "Holly. It is my money. It is not as if I am spending the family fortune on frivolous luxuries. It is also not the most expensive watch I own. That title would belong to my platinum Rolex. This Cartier," he pointed to his wrist, "was several thousand less." His tone was level, trying to reason with her.

"You're infuriating." She didn't even look at him but that wasn't because she was mad at him. In truth, she was trying not to gawk at him and hide her emotions with fury. Artemis looked very nice in a tuxedo and she was a bit worried about how she'd look next to him. That and being in a crowd of classy people she wasn't used to.

She still had yet to change since she wanted to finish with her hair and make-up first. Juliet had helped with her hair since she never was much of one for long hair and therefore had no clue what to do with it. Juliet had curled it into loose ringlets and strategically pinned the curls to cover her ears. She grabbed her undergarments from the drawer and started to strip off her jeans. Juliet had her dress in a button-down shirt so she wouldn't have to pull it over her head when she wanted to change. That too, came off along with the bra beneath as she reached for the black strapless one she needed for her outfit.

"Stop gawking." she scolded without even looking at him. "You muck up my hair, you're in deep shit, you got it?"

Artemis chuckled as he looked away from her. He wondered if his eyes set off some sort of internal sensor in her. He had thought he was being subtle. "Don't worry, love. I have no intentions of ravishing you right now. I'd like for you to enjoy the party without being in pain." Artemis knew he'd be in pain at the party. He hated these type of events. Not to mention being around Minerva... Artemis unconsciously groaned at the thought.

Having slipped into her bra, garter belt and thigh-high black stockings, Holly was ready for her dress. "Arty, could you pass me my dress?"

Artemis, still not looking in her direction picked her dress off the handle of the wardrobe where she had hung it earlier. He turned to hand it to her and was taken aback by the sight in her black lace lingerie. Suddenly he found himself mentally kicking himself for promising not to ravish her. He shamelessly gawked at her without offering her the dress he held.

"I'll take my dress, thank you." she said as she extended her hand impatiently.

Artemis blinked. "Right." he handed her dress, forcibly pulling his eyes from her. He automatically _adjusted_ himself.

Holly finished dressing, stepped into her strappy heels and grabbed her freakishly expensive clutch bag. "Okay handsome. Let's get out of here." she smiled at him.

He beamed at her. "Holly. You're especially stunning." He playfully scowled before continuing. "I'm not sure I want Minerva's multiple boy toys drooling over you."

_Right, just like I don't want Minerva drooling over you._ Holly thought, but said nothing. Instead she just smiled and headed for the door.

They met Butler in the front foyer who was also dressed sharply in a black tux. He smiled at the young couple. "You two look nice."

"As do you, old friend. Is the jet ready?" Artemis asked.

"Yes. All set. Everything is already packed. It should only take a few hours to get there."

"Excellent. Let's get this loathsome business done with and behind us!" Artemis proclaimed just as the door bell rang. Butler looked at Artemis puzzled as they were not expecting anyone, but it seemed Holly may have been as she beamed a smile.

Butler cautiously opened the door to find a slight young man, about the same height and age as Artemis, also wearing a tuxedo. His hair was a sandy blond color and hung loosely almost to his chin. His skin was pale and his eyes were an ice blue color. He smiled brightly at Butler, revealing perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth.

Holly bolted for him, squeezing him in a hard embrace which he returned with just as much enthusiasm. "I'm so glad you could come!" she bellowed. Artemis wasn't aware of the fact that he was scowling at this unknown young man. He was unknown, and yet strangely familiar. Artemis was sure he'd seen him someplace before.

Holly reared back after hugging him. "Oh man, I forgot how weird those things feel to hug." She looked him up and down and grinned. As an elf who found human men attractive she voiced her approval. "Nice, _very_ nice." she said nodding, as she admired his appearance. The young man blushed at her comment.

Artemis was none too happy about this exchange and walked up behind Holly, possessively placing his hand on her shoulder. The mystery man smiled at Artemis and extended an elegant hand. "Good day to you, Artemis."

Artemis's scowl morphed into surprise as he recognized the voice. "No.1?"

No.1 smiled and nodded. Artemis then took his hand to shake it. As he did, he blinked, curious as to the bizarre sensation it felt like to touch him in this shape. It felt odd and _spongy._

"I know, it feels weird to other magical creatures. I'd bet Butler doesn't notice a thing." He tested his theory and extended his hand to Butler who cautiously took it, then gave it a firm shake. Butler found this entire exchange curious. He'd never seen a shape-shifting spell before. It was thoroughly convincing.

"You feel human to me." Butler admitted.

"See?" No.1 smiled brightly at Artemis.

Artemis smiled wryly at him. "So does this persona have a name, or should I assign you one?"

"I don't know. The last time you assigned me a name I got stuck with 'Ferdinand'. I was thinking 'Leonardo'. That's the name of the actor I modeled the image after, in his younger days. I tried to find images of human men about my own age before I crafted the spell." No.1 admitted.

Artemis rolled his eyes dramatically as he finally recognized the face.

Holly piped up. "I'm not calling you Leonardo, that's too strange. I think you're a... Travis."

Both the young men looked at Holly questioningly. "Travis?"

"Yes. Travis. Artemis's cousin, visiting from overseas in America were you study law." Holly offered.

Artemis smiled. "She is getting too good at this deception business. I think I am a poor influence on her."

Holly rolled her eyes. She linked arms with both Artemis and No.1. "Let's get going boys." she bit back a giggle as she imagined what she must look like with a teenaged boy in a tux on each arm.

Hours later, Butler landed the Learjet in Paris and found the chauffeur Minerva had sent to the airport. They left quickly, but not before Butler retrieved his 'goody bag'. One of many he had stored in lockers in almost every major airport around the world. Holly had never been in a limousine before and was starting to feel ill at all the extravagance that was being afforded this simple party. Of course, Artemis and Butler didn't bat an eye at the vehicle. In fact, it was as if they wouldn't have had any less. What was their wedding going to be like if Artemis was the one planning it, she worried.

Holly had assumed that the party was being held at Minerva's residence but was stunned to find the limo pulling up to an ornate and sprawling castle in the countryside. "Where are we?" she asked Artemis.

"Tiara Chateau Hotel Mont Royal." he answered flatly. "As the name suggests, it is both a castle and a hotel. Where did you think we'd be staying when I asked you to pack an overnight bag?"

"I don't know. I guess a hotel. I didn't think the actual event was _at_ a hotel though. And a fancy one at that... not that I should expect anything less from Minerva."

As the porter rushed to the limo to get their things, they walked through the lobby to check in. Artemis informed the clerk they would need an additional room. He had no intentions of sharing a room with No.1.

Holly wandered over to the window to look at the view of the forest. No.1 stayed with Artemis, apologizing for any inconvenience he may have caused.

"Don't worry yourself... _Travis_. I'm sure you'll enjoy a night in location with... such high elevation." he smirked as he tried to hide the fact that No.1 lived underground.

Minerva appeared in the lobby, thrilled to see that Artemis had arrived. _"Artemis, Mon cher! How wonderful that you made it to my little soiree!"_ she sung in her Parisian French as she embraced Artemis in a typical French fashion, greeting him by kissing his cheeks in turn as he kissed hers. He felt Holly's scowl from across the room.

"_Bon soir,_ Minerva. You look absolutely lovely. I thank you for thinking to invite me to your gathering. Truly it is very kind of you." Artemis spoke to her in English with typical aristocrat formality. Minerva was one of the _few_ people Artemis afforded propriety to.

"Of course, darling. It simply wouldn't be a party without you." she smiled in a flirtatious manner. "I have to say, Artemis, you are looking especially dashing this evening." she switched over to English subconsciously after being spoken to with it.

"Thank you." Artemis squirmed slightly before drawing her attention to No.1. "Minerva, this is my cousin, Travis. He has been studying overseas for the past few years and paid me an unexpected visit this weekend. I couldn't just leave him in Ireland so I brought him along. I hope you don't mind."

Minerva examined the young man at his side. She gave him a devious smile. "Well, _bonjour _Travis." she extended her hand for No.1 to kiss.

No.1 looked briefly at Artemis, who gave him the 'go ahead' nod, before taking her hand and kissing it softly. "_Enchante, Mademoiselle_." he said in perfect French.

_"Ooh, you speak French! And with such souplesse! Most foreigners butcher our beautiful language."_ she giggled.

Minerva looked back at Artemis. "I saw that you reserved one of the five suites with two occupants. I knew it was very unlikely that you would be sharing with Butler especially since you had another room in your name. If your cousin here would like a room of his own, I'm sure it could be arranged." she smiled back at No.1.

"Actually, I have just reserved a third room, for Travis' use. The occupant sharing the suite with me is my fiancé." Artemis explained levelly. Holly took it upon herself to join Artemis as this point, eyeing Minerva warily. This woman had also once kidnapped her... _and No.1_. Child genii were not to be trusted.

The shock was plainly evident on Minerva's face. It only increased as she recognized Holly. "Fiancé?"

Artemis placed his arm around Holly, cautious of Minerva's reaction. She knew who and _what_ Holly was. "Yes, Holly and I are getting married this fall. I suppose you haven't received your invitation yet as International mail takes a few extra days and we only just posted them earlier this week. I do hope you'll be able to make it." _You better... I've come to your ridiculous party..._

"But... she is..." Minerva looked around at who else was in the lobby. She knew them all. She also knew what languages they would speak and chose a vague one that she knew Artemis would know but the others wouldn't understand. "_She's a fairy! And how did she get so tall?" _she spoke in Irish Gaelic.

_"Minerva, I do not wish to discuss the details of our relationship with you. It is really none of your business!"_ Artemis countered, also replying in Irish.

_"It is SO my business! I thought we were friends Artemis! You told me you were still in touch with her, you didn't tell me you were dating! I would never have approved of such a relationship! She's not human! It's unnatural."_ she continued to scold.

_"I do not 'require' your approval. We are friends, and as such you should at least 'accept' my choices."_ Artemis growled.

Holly smirked when she heard Artemis getting heated up. Their bickering reminded her a lot of Grub and Trouble's exchanges. There were times when Holly was glad she was an only decided to bring the attention away from Artemis. _"It's lovely to see you once again, Minerva. Especially under such improved circumstances."_ she spoke in Irish as well, letting her know she understood their argument.

Minerva swallowed hard. She was not aware of the gift of tongues that fairies possessed. She thought it was a 'demon' thing to which Butler had educated her years ago that there was a difference between demons and elves. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize you could... well. _ahem_... I should apologize to you, Ms. Holly. For the whole 'kidnapping and tying you to a chair' fiasco five years ago." Minerva apologized, shamefaced.

Holly smiled and brushed it off. "Oh, don't think another moment of it. You weren't the first child genius to kidnap me." she smiled teasingly at Artemis who didn't seem to appreciate the joke.

"Well… thank you. That's very kind of you. I suppose congratulations are in order. When is date set for?"

"October 6th." Artemis interrupted, still peeved.

"Ah. Well, that will be a lovely time to be wed." she glowered at Artemis, trying to be polite but finding she was unsuccessful.

"Please excuse us, Minerva. We should get settled before attending your ball." Artemis took Holly's hand and led her to the elevators, not affording Minerva so much as a backwards glance. No.1 shot her an apologetic smile before trotting after the two of them. Butler smiled and promised he'd catch up with her later before following Artemis, carrying all his and Holly's luggage.

Butler placed their bags in their room then left for his own. Once they were alone in their room, Artemis exploded. "Can you believe that wench? How dare she presume control over my relationships, natural or unnatural? THIS is why I didn't want to come! She is so haughty- how can she think that her opinion is the only one that matters?" he ranted.

Holly laughed. "Gee, Arty. She doesn't remind you of someone, does she?"

"Who? _Me_?" he asked, completely disbelieving. "You think she's like _me_?"

"I can see why romance never blossomed between you two. You're too much alike." A half smile crept across her face.

"I'm _nothing _like her." he grumbled as there was a knock on the door.

"You two about ready? They are going to be serving dinner soon and I'm starving. Can we go, please?" No.1 called out from behind their door.

"Yeah, we're coming." Holly opened the door, joining No.1 in the hallway. "Arty, are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Go ahead without me. I need to cool off." Artemis announced, obviously still stewing.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's go, _Travis_. You'll be my escort." she linked arms with him and walked down to the ballroom.

When Holly and No.1 arrived at the ballroom, Holly managed to control the feeling of becoming overwhelmed. No.1 wasn't as successful.

"Frond! Would you look at this place? Quite the set up!" he looked in awe at his surroundings. There were round tables dressed beautifully in white and cream linens with ornate floral centerpieces and fine crystal and china set out on them. The chairs were also draped in linen and had large bows tied to the backs of them. Beyond the tables, was a dance floor where several couples were dancing to the music of a string quartet.

The two of them froze, unsure as to where they were supposed to go next. A young man, also in a tux, approached them but spoke only to Holly. "Hello miss. Would your date protest to me asking for a dance?"

"My date?" she questioned as Artemis was no where near her. "Oh, he's not my date." she nudged 'Travis' as she spoke.

The young man smiled happily. "Excellent." he extended his hand to her. Holly figured she should try to have some fun on her own since Artemis was upstairs steaming. She accepted his hand as he guided her to the dance floor.

Holly was shocked to find she could dance... extremely well. She figured it was probably one of two things. This young man was a good dancer and thus able to guide her well- as opposed to clumsy Trouble, who couldn't dance to save his life. Or, she'd picked up some of Artemis's grace in their partnering. Maybe it was both.

Artemis entered the room and chuckled as he saw No.1 surrounded by glassy-eyed women. 'Travis' stood in the middle of them all, a head taller than almost all of them, blushing and stammering nervously. Artemis walked to be in front of him but was still blocked by several women. "Travis. Where is Holly?"

No.1 looked up to see Artemis. "Oh, some guy asked her to dance. She's out on the floor with him now."

The girls all turned to look at Artemis when he spoke. Several of them smiled and batted their eyes at him. One even dared to take his arm. "Well, hello there. If your date is preoccupied at the moment, perhaps you'd like to dance with me?"

Sparing her no regard he removed his arm from her grasp. "No, I would not. I would like to find my _fiancé._" he scowled at her before leaving.

The girl cocked her eyebrow as he left then looked back at No.1. "Your companion is rather rude."

No.1 shrugged. "He's my cousin. And yes, he completely lacks people skills. It really is a wonder that she tolerates him so well."

Artemis found Holly being swirled around the dance floor by some young yuppie, (not unlike himself). He stalked behind him and roughly tapped him on the shoulder. The boy turned to see a very fierce glare on Artemis's face. "I am cutting in." he stated. It wasn't a request. The boy looked back at Holly questioningly.

"Do you want to dance with this man?" he asked her.

Holly sighed defeated. "If I don't, he might have you 'whacked'." she looked over at her fiancé. "Artemis, you weren't supposed to come down until you cooled off."

The young man who held Holly froze as her statement came together with the uncommon name 'Artemis's. _Artemis... Fowl? shit!_ The Fowls were famous amongst this crowd. But not everyone knew they had turned over a new leaf in the past few years and some still thought of them as the dangerous criminal syndicate they used to be. "My apologies." he practically tossed Holly over to Artemis before scurrying off the dance floor and out of the room.

"Why must you scare everyone half to death?" Holly scolded.

Artemis took her hand and waist to finish the dance with her. "I merely asked to dance, my reputation precedes me."

"No, that's not _just_ it. You are intimidating. You thrive on it, _crave_ the power. You get a cheap thrill out of degrading others beneath you." she continued to chastise him.

Artemis smiled darkly at the accusation. "Perhaps. But when it comes to you Holly, _no one_ should feel they even have a chance of taking you from me. I've already had to deal with Trouble Kelp and do not wish to repeat that experience." Artemis casually admitted his jealous behavior. "You dance lovely, by the way. But I'd expect nothing less from _my _partner." he smirked at her, knowing she was most likely itching to swat him right now.

"Insufferable." she muttered quietly.

Artemis caught another rich brat eyeing up Holly and positioned them in such a way so that Artemis was looking directly at the young man across the dance floor and Holly's back was to him. The hand on her hip slid around to her ass cheek and grabbed it roughly while pressing her closer to him. He shot his rival a mirthless grin. The boy gawked briefly, embarrassed he'd be caught and then looked away.

Holly figured out what he was doing and purposely stepped on his foot. "Stop it." she growled. Artemis winced but offered no apology.

The dance ended and they sat for dinner. Holly had chosen the vegetarian meal where Artemis, of course, chose meat. He decided to lay off all the red meat he'd been eating lately and went with the chicken. He figured one day Holly would mostly likely convert him and he should ease his way into the transition. After the salad and soup courses Holly salivated anew as a waiter placed the stuffed shells in front of her. "Oh gods, look how frikkin' awesome this is! And the smell..." she started to dig in while Artemis recoiled at her poor table manners. Other guests were staring now, too. "Uhhn... Bif iv awwfum." She praised in an orgasmic mumble with her mouth full. Ricotta cheese crumbled down her chin.

"Holly, I realize you are probably more hungry than usual, but do you think you might be able to recall some shred social grace at the table? I don't care how you eat at home but we are in the presence of the aristocratic class here." he whispered to her quietly.

Holly felt a bit chagrined, but only for a split second. She just realized she had a bad habit that actually got under Artemis's skin. She swallowed her food before speaking. "I'll tell you what, Arty dear. I will do everything in my power to eat like a true lady if you can drop the possessive-prick behavior."

Artemis frowned. "I suppose I shall work on it." he conceded before beginning on the chicken.

Holly could smell his food and usually the smell of meat bothered her. But today, it seemed especially appealing. Without thinking, she stabbed her fork into a piece he'd cut off and devoured it. "Mmm.. Bat's gud too." she mumbled.

Artemis stared at her dumbfounded. "Holly! That is _meat_ you realize. A piece of flesh off a once living creature."

"Yeah but it smells so good! I had to have it. Besides, it's just a stupid chicken. Here, give me more." she held out her plate.

Artemis was momentarily dazed before a small smile crept on to his face. He took her plate and simply switched it with his own. He completely forgot to eat himself as he watched her, completely enraptured as she decimated the food. When she looked up at to find him gawking at her, she gave him a 'what?' to which he just shook his head in utter disbelief.

"You know what it is, don't you? _It's your offspring. It's craving meat. You humans are such barbarians and now I've got to eat flesh to satisfy its' barbaric desires."_ she was, of course, mostly joking and thankfully spoke the last part quietly in Gnommish, taking into account the others seated at the table with them.

Artemis looked at her with concern. He'd heard of pregnant women craving all sorts of wild things, including ashes and paint chips. Perhaps meat from a vegetarian wasn't such a horrible thing for her to want. _"I'm sure it's just your hormones, dear."_ he offered before returning his attention to his now pasta meal.

_"Yeah well, eating strange things is only just the beginning. Pregnancy hormones are a real bitch I hear. I'll probably rape you in the night."_ she laughed.

_"It's only rape if it's not consensual."_ he hinted.

This entire conversation was thankfully in Gnommish. Of course, no other human knew what they were saying. Butler was stalking around and even his Gnommish was weak at best. What they forgot was their present company. Artemis looked up from his dinner to see his 'cousin' Travis with fork poised in mid air, jaw gaping in shock. Artemis frowned. "I suppose the cat is out of the bag."

Holly looked over at No.1 who looked like he had literally frozen in shock. "D'Arvit, you can't say anything... no one knows but Foaly."

_"Are you guys serious? You're having a baby?_" No.1 squeaked quietly even though he was speaking in Gnommish.

"Yes. Now drop it for the time being. This is not the venue for this discussion." Artemis lectured No.1.

No.1 did indeed drop it. He didn't know what to say. He was too stunned.

A server approached and placed a glass of champagne in front of each of them. No.1 looked at it curiously before taking a sip only to spit it back into the glass. "This contains alcohol!" he whispered to Holly who laughed heartily at his startled reaction.

After the meal had been cleaned up, Minerva joined the three of them at their table. She sat next to No.1, making eyes at him. "Aren't you going to ask me to dance, Travis?"

No.1 looked at her, frightened. "I'm afraid I'm not a very good dancer." he admitted. It was true. While he had many skills- Shape-shifting, infusing others with magic, trans-dimensional warps including those through space and time... dancing wasn't on the list.

"Pity." she pouted. "Holly, would you mind terribly if I borrowed Artemis for a dance?"

Holly shrugged. She figured it was probably more punishment for Artemis to dance with Minerva than for Holly to be jealous about him dancing with someone else. She could sense Artemis boiling even though he managed to completely hide it. "By all means." she offered him over to her.

_"Thanks a lot."_ he muttered under his breath as he stood and walked past her, joining Minerva.

Once Holly was alone with No.1, he began to drill her with questions. _"How did this happen, Holly? You two weren't planning a child this soon, were you?"_

_"No, of course not. I wasn't supposed to be fertile. We think it was the partnering. It screwed with my cycle or something."_

_"Have you seen a medic yet? How far into the pregnancy are you?"_

_"I haven't seen a medic. Foaly is supposed to have one sent early next week. Artemis thinks conception was during the partnering. So about five weeks. This is partially your fault you realize. You gave him freaky magic sperm."_

No.1 grimaced at the thought of having anything to do with another man's sperm. _"It was probably just a side-effect. Remember, he's not fully human to begin with. I doubt my magic specifically altered his… you know."_

_"I don't know... it felt pretty weird inside."_

_"You know what? I don't want to hear this."_

_"Sorry."_

_"Holly... Are you happy with this?"_

_"You know, deep down I am. I think I always did want kids but figured I'd just have them MUCH later in life. I think I'm still getting used to the idea right now. Not to mention I'm nervous about the unknowns that come with having a hybrid child."_

_"Understandable. I'm sure the medic will be able to quell a lot of your fears. How does Artemis feel?"_

_"Scared, mostly. But I think he's warming up to the idea. Slowly."_

_"Hmm. Well, I think it's fantastic. Just think. He or she will probably be a little genius, just like dad."_

Holly looked momentarily pained as she thought about Artemis as a 10 year-old boy, then pictured that boy as her son. _Gods, my son wouldn't be like that. Timmy and Angeline weren't there for Artemis... that's why he turned out so evil._ _"A genius he, or she, might be. But 'like dad' will not be the case. At least not like dad was as a child." _

_"I've heard stories..."_ No.1 admitted, fear evident in his eyes.

_"And I'm sure every single one of them was true."_

Artemis danced with Minerva, almost silently. She tried to bring up the fact that him marrying Holly was odd, seeing as she wasn't human and he was only a teenager. Artemis kept trying to change the subject or would just ignore her entirely. Artemis suddenly faltered at one of her comments.

"I mean, _fine_ you want to marry her. But why do it so soon? You're so young yet. It's not like you got her pregnant or anything."

No one else would have noticed the way he just tripped slightly, the way his eyebrow twitched, or the way his hand subconsciously tightened as she spoke. No one would have noticed... except Minerva. She _did_ just acquire her psychology Ph.D. after all and was easily the smartest female in Europe.

When she noticed his reaction, though he tried so hard to cover it, she realized the truth. "_Sacre Bleu, _Artemis! You didn't!" she exclaimed quietly so as to not let others around them in on their conversation.

Artemis rolled his eyes and groaned. _Fantastic. Now Minerva knows my indiscretions._ "That is not the reason I am marrying her. We already had the date set before we found out."

"Regardless, how could you be so careless?"

Artemis glowered. She was not about to drop it. "She was not supposed to be fertile. And we assumed we could not reproduce together due to are obvious differences. Now what's done, is done. We need to simply move forward with our lives. I am marrying her, as previously planned, and then _shortly afterwards_ we will be raising our child together. I do not intend to go back in time to change things. In fact, I am essentially married to her, in her people's culture. The pairing was _consummated_ after the ceremony and she conceived. Lots of couples have children immediately. My parents were only married a year before my mother became pregnant with me. Obviously, that's not as soon as 'the wedding night' but still, it's a rather short time to have your spouse to yourself before having to share your attention with a child."

Minerva could hear the distress in his voice even though he tried hard to hide it. She could tell he was scared. She felt a small amount of pity for him and tried to give him her most reassuring smile. "Artemis, you'll do just fine. No parent knows what they're doing when their first child comes along. Yet people have been figuring it out for millennia. I'm certain someone as smart as you will figure it out too."

Artemis offered her a genuine smile. "Thank you, Minerva. That is... kind, of you."

The song ended and Artemis escorted Minerva back to the table. No.1 and Holly had guilty expressions on their faces that puzzled Artemis. Holly wasn't sure how Artemis would feel about her divulging so much to No.1. She hoped he'd be okay with it since No.1 was probably one of his best friends. Aside from that, his help might be needed during this pregnancy. And eventually _everyone_ would know, so she could always argue that point if he did get upset.

The evening wore on into the night and Holly started to yawn incessantly. "Arty, I'm bushed. I think I'm going to call it a night. If you want to stay, that's fine. I can make my way back to the room on my own."

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not going to let you go alone. If you must, I'm going with you." Artemis was eternally grateful for the valid excuse to leave. His conversations with Minerva droned on about pointless things and all she wanted to talk about was her new project she was _determined_ would win her a Nobel. Artemis found the topic entirely boring and her theories loose at best. Now that Minerva knew that Holly was pregnant, surely she wouldn't protest to Artemis escorting her.

And she didn't. Minerva said her goodnights to the both of them, kissing them and thanking them both for coming. "I will see you in the morning. Please be sure to allow me to see you off." she called out as the couple left. Artemis acknowledged her request with a nod before they retreated for their hotel room.

In the elevator back to their room, Holly tugged uncomfortably at her dress. "Geez, how do you suffer it out in these stuffy formal clothes for so long? Aren't you uncomfortable?"

"You're forgetting, I've lived more than half my life in a suit. Now I think I'm too used to it. I feel uncomfortable in informal clothes even in informal settings. Like my own home." It was true. Even Artemis Senior could dress casually for the weekends while Artemis would still be dressed for a business meeting.

"Well, maybe we can ease you into something else once and a while. If I can tolerate _this_ for you from time to time, I think you can suffer in a pair of jeans for me." she smirked at him, knowing he would hate her unfailing logic. Artemis smiled but said nothing. There was no reward in being argumentative with her now.

They arrived at the room, and Artemis paused to latch the door. As he turned he found Holly stopped in his path, her back turned towards him. "Unzip me."

"Gladly." The zipper flew down instantly and he pushed the straps off her shoulders. Holly turned to face him as her dress dropped to the floor, revealing the black lace lingerie he had seen her dress in earlier that day. "Can I 'muck up' your hair now?"

Holly placed her hand on his cheek, guiding his lips towards her own. "I was hoping you would."

Artemis kissed her but then suddenly halted. "Wait. Can we, I mean, should we...?" Artemis knew that intercourse was typically safe during pregnancy. But theirs was not a typical pregnancy and so Artemis wasn't sure if he should proceed.

Holly smiled reassuringly to him. "Arty, I am barely pregnant for one thing. Secondly, it's definitely safe during normal elf pregnancies. If that's the same for humans than I don't think we have to worry. I promise, if it become uncomfortable I'll tell you."

As much as Artemis knew about reproduction in humans, he had no knowledge of the process elves went through. He trusted she knew best.

"Now," she stood back from him, stepping out of the dress pooled around her ankles. She put her hands on her hips and wiggled them for his amusement. "do I get that ravishing now?"

Artemis expression turned dark. "Loose the panties. Keep the rest. _Including_ the heels."

Minerva hadn't had her chance to catch up with her good friend Butler during the party. He never sat for a moment but insisted on hovering at all entrances and covering different vantage points to protect Artemis. It wasn't all that late, and knowing Butler he probably wasn't asleep yet. Minerva had requested his room number and was heading down the hallway.

Butler was sitting on his bed, re-reading 'Gone with the Wind' for the umpteenth time when he heard a knock on his door. Cautiously, he rose and peered through the peep hole. It was only Minerva. Butler immediately opened the door for her and welcomed her in. Minerva sat at the edge of the bed while Butler grabbed the chair from the desk.

"How are you, Butler?" Minerva asked him. It had been years since the two of them could hang out together alone. From ages 12 through 15, Minerva had spent every summer holiday at the manor even though Artemis wasn't there. She had developed a very close friendship with Butler during those years but lately it seemed she never kept in touch with him.

"I am well, thank you. With Holly occupying Artemis most of the time, I seem to have more capacity for reading." he held up the book, smiling. He would have never chose that novel had not Minerva convinced him to read it. It was now his favorite book.

Minerva opened her mouth to suggest another novel but the words died before they came out. She heard a very bizarre sound coming from the next room. She paused as she listened to the strange wrestling sound that was followed by erotic moans in a female's voice. She looked at Butler with a cocked eyebrow who was grimacing already.

"Uh, yes. You should really give Jane Austen's work a look over. She is still one of my favorites." she continued, ignoring the neighbors.

"Yes, I can just imagine what someone would think if they saw me reading 'Sense and Sensibility'!" Butler joked.

Minerva could hear more unholy noises coming from the inconsiderate neighbors as she was sitting on the bed where the headboard butted up against the shared wall with the room next to it. She wasn't entire sure she made out the words that were spoken in a male's voice in English. It sounded something like 'On your knees' and 'suck it.' Minerva's eyes widened, horrified.

"That's not… Artemis's room, is it?" she asked Butler. Butler shook his head furiously, not wanting to admit that it in fact was.

"I'm sure they'll be quiet soon." Butler tried to offer excuses on Artemis's behalf. He would have offered to go elsewhere with her but he didn't have any other security or surveillance on Artemis and felt uncomfortable going too far from him.

It was silent for a while and Minerva thought maybe she had heard things and jumped to conclusions. "You know, I think it's terribly sad that society doesn't afford men the luxury of romantic inclination. Why should it seem strange to see a man reading romance? Is it not human nature to desire companionship?"

"Unfortunately, society didn't get that memo on human nature and has passed its' own judgments as to what is and is not acceptable for both men and women. Personally, I - " Butler stopped in the middle of his sentence as Holly's moans picked back up. Butler grabbed the remote control for the flatscreen television, desperately turning up the volume on CNN. "As I was saying, personally, I don't care what others think. Still I find it rather unfortunate that a man would have to block out the negative opinions of others that frankly, shouldn't exist."

Minerva was quite certain what was taking place in the next room over and was trying very hard to block it out. "I agree wholeheartedly with you. Society needs to move forward on such aspects of - "

_Thwack_. "Oh fuck, yes. Harder!"

Minerva lost all color before it was replenished with an overabundance. "Did he just… strike her?"

Before Butler could reply, another loud _thwack_ sounded through the wall. Butler picked up the remote again and turned the volume yet higher. "Some people! You were saying?"

Minerva had to think back to her previous train of thought. What was she saying, she wondered briefly. When she recalled it, she pointed her index finger upwards. "Oh yes. Society moving forwards on aspects of gender assignment. The whole mentality that 'girls get pink' while 'boys get blue'. What if I want blue?" she remarked.

Butler smiled at her feminist comment and was glad to see she was blocking out the distraction. "I think you'd be surprised to have actually lived back, even just 20 years ago. I know you've read a lot in books, but nothing compares to first-hand experience. Society has already come so far."

_Thwack._ More moans.

"What is he _doing_ to her?" she asked, completely innocent. She had a vague idea when she registered the sound of the bed springs coupled with the moaning but why on earth was there this 'slapping' sound?

Butler groaned in dismay. "For some, I suppose spanking is a part of foreplay. Please continue with your 'Pro-Female' rant." he smiled knowing that that statement would get her mind back to their conversation.

"Pro-Female _rant?_ I DO beg to differ. You must agree with me that since women have been fighting so hard for equal rights that - "

The moans turned into screams as a loud rhythmic banging resounded into the room as the headboard of the neighbor's bed smashed repeatedly against the adjoining wall.

"Butler, please tell me. What is the appeal in being physical abused during intercourse?" Minerva blurted out in her irritation.

Butler couldn't repress the laugh. She sounded so much like Artemis it was frightening at times. Still, she had asked him a question to which he actually had the answer to when the genius child did not simply do to lack of personal experience. "I don't know if I should be discussing that with you."

Minerva frowned. She hated when people still regarded her as a child. Of course, Butler was 30 years older than her and to him, she would always be a child. "I have just turned 18 years old Butler, and as such, am viewed an adult in most countries. You should not feel you need to withhold information from me simply due to my age."

Butler offered her a weak smile. "I don't know what to tell, Minerva. It's something rather, instinctual, between a man and woman. Though I doubt whatever I say on the topic you'd agree with me on." he paused trying to think of the right words to use but was finding the noise from next door distracting. "it's... like in nature. You know, every male has to work to procure himself a mate. When he does find one, he demonstrates to both her and other males that she has been claimed, a possession. I hope that didn't sound to obscure." Butler tried to rationalize the primal aspects of sex to her without getting too graphic. "Why don't you do some research on the topic. Aren't you a Psych major?"

"Yes I am but -"

"Come, Holly! I want to feel you fuckin' come on my cock!" Artemis's voice had a guttural tone as he roared commands at Holly. The banging sound increased both in volume and tempo.

Minerva gasped in horror as she gaped at Butler who was frowning with great disapproval. Shocked, she lost all words. Instead she could only unwillingly listen to the audio-only version to the proverbial train wreck.

"Oh gods, Arty! I'm going to come, I... ahhh!" A loud scream resounded through the room and a few moments later the banging stopped. Suddenly, it was silent.

Butler rolled his eyes. "Okay, they're done. Do you want to go back to our original conversation?"

Minerva finally found words but wasn't sure of her voice. When she spoke, it sounded weak and strangled. "Tell me, Butler. Are they always so noisy?"

"Yes. But Artemis had their bedroom sound-proofed so I don't have to listen to it as much. Just when they're in the shower or tub. Artemis didn't want to rip out the marble tiles and try to get around all the plumbing to sound-proof that room too but the water _drowns _out a lot of the noise." he chuckled lightly at his unintentional pun.

"If that is any indication of what I should expect when intimate, I think I shall instead choose to remain celibate."

Butler smiled. "No you won't. You're too much of a flirt." he ribbed her.

Minerva bit back a smile at the accusation. "I am not." she said without any conviction. "You be sure to tell Artemis that what he does behind closed doors is his business, but keep the audio there too. It's highly inconsiderate of others."

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" Butler offered, knowing she wouldn't.

"I doubt he desires company right now. Besides, I don't think I could face him currently without turning red." she muttered embarrassed.

"You're probably right. I'll be sure to pass along the message on your behalf."

"You should be discouraging such behavior. They are not yet married." she lectured.

"I have no authority over him, Minerva. Besides, I'm just happy he's doing _something_ physical for a change. It's nice to see he's found an activity he enjoys enough to really thrust himself into." Butler actually snorted as he blurted out his statement of hidden meaning.

"My goodness, Butler. Was that a joke?" Minerva asked, surprised to see any humor from the normally dour manservant.

"Perhaps. I'm trying to lighten the mood to remove the uncomfortable awkwardness."

"Ah." Minerva acknowledged but found his efforts were in vain. Her virgin ears were still completely rattled by what she just heard. "It is late now and it really has been a long night. I should let you get some rest."

Butler smiled apologetically to her. He felt bad that she had to hear that. He knew she had always had a bit of a crush on Artemis. In this one night she'd come to know he was permanently off the market and unbeknownst to Butler, she knew about his child. It had been a large blow for one night. Their vocal performance was only exacerbating her emotional turmoil.

"Minerva, thank you for having us at your party. It was a very lovely event. I hope I don't have to wait so long before I see you again."

"No, it won't be that long. I'll be coming to the wedding. Artemis is my friend after all. Despite his lewd behavior." she winked.

The two said their goodnights and Minerva scurried past Artemis's door back to her own room. She'd be having words with him in the morning...

Artemis laid in bed, spooned next to Holly. He was completely spent but thoroughly satisfied. He ran his hand down the length of her thigh, up her hip to her ribs and then back down again. Holly let out a contented sigh as she felt herself drifting into sleep.

Artemis could tell she was sleepy and propped himself up on his elbow, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He felt her face draw into a smile beneath his lips and smiled down at her. "Goodnight, Holly." he softy whispered to her. She replied with a mild 'Mmm' sound as she was almost asleep. What Artemis next did surprised her enough to draw her back into full consciousness.

He leaned over her mid section and kissed her belly tenderly. "_Goodnight, little one_." he spoke to their unborn child in Irish, before laying back and falling asleep.

* * *

**Chapter Notes: I just want to point out once again... I am a mom. I was pregnant. It was horrible. I know it's not like that for everyone but I am purposely making Lili's experience identical to mine (except the eating. I was throwing up the entire time and actually lost 20 pounds when I was pregnant.) So to you mommy-types who _haven't_ had kids... it ISN'T always rainbows and sunshine, all right? Just warning you.**


	20. Appointment

**A/N: Okay this chapter is huge so make sure you have plenty of time to devote to reading this one. I thought about chopping it in two but felt like since it's all one day... it should be one chapter. I'm not going to do much talking here since I have a lot of chapter notes. I do want to address one thing that was mentioned in previous post's reviews: Elf Gestation. So, I know the books state that a fairy can only have a child every 20 years. This is all fine and good. I state that Holly only OVULATES every 10 years. For those of you who know a thing or two about pregnancy, after you've had a child, you generally skip SEVERAL cycles before you begin to menstruate again thus making you fertile once again. I have it so that Holly ovulates every ten years but then, if she were to have a child, she would skip a cycle before being able to be impregnated again. Hope that make some sense.**

**Artemis may seem OOC in this chapter to some of you. There is a reason for that. Artemis is reacting to the changes in the partnering and therefore taking on some of Holly's traits. Just remember that when you read something that seems a bit strange for Arty. **

**Also, delicious lemon enclosed. Just a 'heads up'. (Oh, I'm so funny…)**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns Artemis Fowl.**

* * *

Holly combed out her wet hair while Artemis had just finished dressing. Since the party was on a Saturday night and they were leaving Sunday morning, Holly had convinced Artemis to not bring a suit as his change of clothes. His outfit would still not be described as 'casual' but a bit less formal than his regular attire.

As she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom area, she saw Artemis tucking the short-sleeved, white silk button-down into his gray cotton trousers. Being mid-July, it actually was a bit too hot to comfortably wear a full suit and tie. Holly frowned and closed the distance between them. "Artemis. Don't tuck it in." she grabbed the shirt and tugged it out at the waistline.

Artemis looked at her confused. "You don't think that looks... slovenly?"

"No. I think it looks 'normal.' You dress way too uptight, you know that? You come across like a pretentious prick sometimes." Holly scolded.

Artemis examined his reflection and gave a small, disapproving frown. He wasn't sure that he looked _acceptable_ but he was getting tired of fighting Holly about his attire. He shrugged before simply letting the issue go. Holly stepped into her jeans and then grabbed a red t-shirt from her bag. She was _more than_ casual and that honestly never bothered Artemis. He wasn't exactly sure why it was that if he could be accepting of her clothing choices that she could not afford him the same courtesy.

Butler and No.1 waited for the two of them downstairs in the restaurant. When Holly and Artemis joined the two of them, No.1 was already chowing down on a generous portion of eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. Holly looked at the food, repulsed suddenly by the meat and even the entire idea of eating. She picked at a single piece of dry toast.

Artemis watched her reaction to the meat and knew his luck on the issue was short-lived. "No dead creatures' flesh this morning, love?"

Holly groaned, slightly nauseous. "C'mon, Artemis. Drop it, will ya? I feel like I'm going to be sick."

"Sorry. Would you like anything other than toast?" Artemis was a bit surprised she was getting morning sickness already, but then again, she just ate a tremendous amount of food last night, including an entire chicken breast so apparently the child was growing rapidly.

Holly shook her head. "No. Thank you, though."

Artemis rubbed her back inconspicuously and looked at her with concern. He could sense that she felt horrible and it made him feel horrible that he couldn't help her. "Just let me know if you need anything." he spoke to her quietly. Holly nodded and continued to pick at her toast.

Just then, Minerva approached them, cordially greeting Butler and _'Travis'_, gave a rather stiff hello to Holly and ignored Artemis entirely. She looked a bit surprised to see the miserable expression on Holly's face. "Is everything all right, Ms. Holly?"

"Yeah, I'm just... not feeling too good this morning. My stomach is bothering me." Holly moaned.

_"Oh."_ Minerva knew what was making her sick. "Would you like me to have the server bring you a cup of ginger tea? That always helps me when I have a stomach ache."

Artemis spoke up. "That would be very kind of you, Minerva. Thank you."

Artemis's voice suddenly brought back the flood of disturbing sounds from last night. Minerva blushed furiously as she mumbled "Certainly." then scurried away.

"That was odd." Artemis remarked as Minerva completely avoided eye contact with him. Butler chuckled.

Artemis looked over to Butler, puzzled. "Do you know what that was about?"

"Perhaps. Maybe you should ask her yourself." Butler knew he was being a bit sadistic but couldn't help himself. As Artemis _continued_ to act without discretion or consideration for others, Butler felt like he should feel _some_ consequences.

Artemis frowned. Butler was purposefully withholding something from him and he did not appreciate it. "Perhaps I will." Artemis stood and followed Minerva out of the dining room into the lobby.

When Minerva caught sight of him following her, she bolted for the lounge. It was early morning and no one was in there. She walked right to the fireplace in the back as she heard Artemis approaching her from behind.

"What was that about? You are behaving odd."

Minerva took a very deep breath before turning to face him. She paused as she registered his outfit, slightly surprised to see him in anything other than a suit. She unconsciously shook her head as if to get her mind back onto why she was angry with him. "Artemis. I am extremely disappointed with you."

"What? Why?"

"You come from proper breeding. You know how to act like a gentleman yet you strike your partner in the bedroom and force her to perform degrading acts on you! You absolutely disgust me!" she shrieked.

Artemis literally stumbled backwards, shocked in horror. "You were _eavesdropping_?"

"Hardly. I was visiting Butler in the next room at that time when your ungodly noises flooded through the walls, raping my virgin ears! Honestly, Artemis! What's _wrong_ with you?"

Artemis's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. He wondered why Butler didn't knock on the wall or something to tell them to keep it down. "First of all," Artemis started, sounding eerily calm, "it was not my intention to deflower your 'virgin ears.' I apologize for forgetting how thin walls can be. My room is soundproof at home. Secondly, I do not 'force' Holly to do anything. Do not make presumptions, _fallow woman_. You are making accusatory remarks without _any_ knowledge on the subject." Artemis lectured her with an extremely cold and harsh tone.

Minerva's eyes widened as he spoke down to her. _No one_ spoke to her that way. She scowled fiercely as she slapped him across the face. "Pig!" she screamed.

Artemis gawked at her, stunned and rubbing his stinging cheek. Once his initial surprise wore off, he stared at her, absolutely livid. Minerva was a bit frightened by his vicious glare and momentarily thought he might hit her back. She did hear him hitting Holly last night, after all.

"What the hell was that for?" he screamed at her. Artemis had only been hit in anger twice in his life. Both times by Holly. And both times he readily admitted he deserved it. He wasn't quite sure what he did this time. _She_ was the one making accusations without facts- which of course, were false. The last time he did that, he got slapped. He wasn't about to slap Minerva. He'd never hit _anyone_ out of anger. What he couldn't fathom was why _she_ was the one who made the false accusations and _he_ was the one who got slapped.

Minerva reared back from his volume. "Because! You should know better! You of all people..." she looked away from him, suddenly appearing hurt. "Why you, of all people..." she practically whispered.

Artemis was confused. A feeling he generally detested and thus, tried to remedy it immediately. "What do you mean? What about me?"

"You can be a complete imbecile sometimes." She paused as she sat in the nearby winged armchair. "Artemis. I _just_ turned 18. You're not even 20 yet. How was I supposed to express my interest any sooner without being viewed as a child?"

Artemis was still baffled. She was making bizarre implications and he figured he must be misinterpreting. "What does our age have to do with anything? Besides, your forgetting I lost three years. I am biologically younger than you, still 16."

Minerva buried her face in her hands and she groaned miserably. "Even better. _You're _younger and the one that's engaged with a baby on the way." she grumbled.

"Are you having some sort of age crisis? I assure you that at while an adult at 18, you still have plenty of time to establish a family of your own." Artemis offered, completely jumping to the wrong conclusion.

"No, you dolt!" Minerva glared at him. Artemis frowned. He wasn't sure what was worse, getting slapped or being insulted.

"I meant 'express my interest'… in _you._" she suddenly continued, averting her gaze once again.

Artemis realized he had not misinterpreted his initial assumption. "Interest in me? _Romantically_?" he asked incredulously, making sure he was indeed on the same page.

"Yes, stupid. You know, you're a very smart boy, Artemis. Why are you so thick about women?"

Artemis sulked. In the span of less than a minute, this woman had slapped him and insulted his intelligence multiple times. He pushed this thought aside for the time being. She was apparently admitting interest in him, which he found both alarming and flattering. "Minerva. Are you telling me you refused to express your feelings to me prior to now simply because of your age?"

Minerva looked at him skeptical. "Why, would it have changed anything?"

Artemis thought for a minute. What if he thought Holly would never think more of him than a child, another despicable Mud Man. One who had lied to her and could never again be trusted. What if he never had a chance with her? Would he take Minerva as a consolation prize?

"No… I'm sorry. It wouldn't have changed anything, Minerva. For me, there was only ever Holly. There will never be anyone else."

Minerva nodded. She sighed as she stood again to face him. "It's okay, Artemis. I understand. Besides, could you imagine us together?" she laughed slightly.

Artemis smiled. "I'm sure we wouldn't have made it to our fifth year anniversary before the police were at the manor investigating a murder-suicide, or possibly double homicide." he joked, _partially._

Minerva smiled. "Right." she paused, feeling very uncomfortable. "Artemis, can I ask you something?"

Artemis hated when people asked if they could ask. Still he begrudgingly agreed.

"Why are you so _rough _with her... in the bedroom? Can't you treat her more gently? I would have figured you the type to be, well, more affectionate." Minerva admitted, blushing as she did so.

Artemis laughed lightly as she basically admitted she had imagined being with him in a sexual encounter. Still, he tried to answer her question. "Minerva. I try to please Holly. Sometimes that involves doing things out of my natural inclination. Intercourse with her is generally in _her_ style. I do hope you understand." he answered levelly.

Minerva nodded, hoping she did understand correctly. Apparently Holly had a different style of love-making to him but he tried to be accommodating. She found that... oddly _nice _of him. "Well, Artemis. I am honestly happy for you, getting married and... becoming a father. It's a big responsibility and also comes with many joys. I'm sure it will prove to be a real blessing for you."

"Thank you." he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Minerva was actually a very good friend of his, despite the fact that she got on his nerves easily. She was one of the few people he felt like he could be himself around, and thus he did care for her quite a bit.

Minerva felt like crying but resisted the urge. Instead she decided to hug him in return but still couldn't control her erratic breathing. Artemis tried to think how he would comfort Holly in this situation. Instinctively, he ran his fingers through Minerva's hair and kissed her forehead. She smiled bashfully.

Of course, it was at that moment that Holly walked in. She had gone looking for Artemis when he didn't return after breakfast. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him until he both felt her laser beam scowl on him and sensed her aura of jealous indignation. Artemis turned to acknowledge her, released Minerva and walked towards Holly, smiling. He took her chin in his index and thumb and angled her face towards him. He kissed her passionately before looking her in the eyes. "Stop." he said to her quietly, sensing her emotions of insecurity and jealousy. Holly breathed deeply. She knew she was jumping to conclusions and that Artemis really could be trusted. She was pretty lucky to have an empathic partner. She had heard stories from Caballine about how Foaly just had no idea what was going on in her mind. Scary since he was a genius. She managed a weak smile for him and uncrossed her arms.

Artemis turned towards Minerva before leaving with Holly. "I should eat before I leave." Minerva nodded and smiled apologetically to Holly.

Artemis and Holly returned to the restaurant where Artemis finished his meal and Holly drank the remains of her now cold ginger tea. Once they had finished, Butler gathered their bags and handed them to the porter who loaded the car. Minerva was in the lobby to see them off.

"I hope you all had a good time. Butler, it was so nice catching up with you. Please call me from time to time." Minerva said. Butler smiled and nodded in reply.

"Holly. Congratulations again. I'm sure Artemis will make a good husband to you, albeit irritating at times." she smirked at Artemis.

"Thank you, Minerva." Holly sounded guarded. She didn't trust Minerva more than she could throw her, which right now, wouldn't be very far.

"Travis, it was an absolute _pleasure _meeting you. I do hope I'll get to see you again." she stood on tip toes and pecked him on the lips. No.1 almost lost control over his spell at the sensation of her silky lips on his own. He couldn't even formulate a vocal response to her when she smiled coyly at him. Artemis and Holly both chuckled quietly at his reaction.

"Minerva continued, switching to Irish for _slightly_ more privacy, "_I hope you'll stop belting Holly taking into consideration her current condition... 'Arty'."_ she smiled wryly at him. Artemis laughed. Holly almost collapsed. She looked up at Artemis, aghast at what he might have divulged to Minerva.

"_Au revoir, ma chere." _Artemis kissed her cheeks tenderly and even though Holly could feel he had nothing but platonic affection for her, she still sulked.

Minerva smiled. "_Au revoir,_ Artemis. I'll be at the wedding."

"Excellent. Until then."

The group left the hotel and boarded the plane. Holly grilled Artemis about how much Minerva knew to which he vaguely stated she had overheard their activities last night and guessed Holly's current medical state. Nothing else needed to be divulged to her. No.1, still in _Travis_ form, rambled like an idiot to himself about how cute he thought Minerva was and how he'd like to visit her again.

When they arrived back in Ireland, Artemis went up to his room to put his clothes away. Artemis received an E-mail on the plane from Foaly telling him that the medic would be coming that evening. He had already made arrangements in the manor to prepare for the medic's visit, though he didn't think they'd have someone so soon. Not that he was complaining. He hoped some of his fears could be put to rest.

Holly had fallen asleep in the car on the way home and Butler was gingerly carrying her to the room. As Artemis watched, slightly amused, as Holly was placed in bed without waking, Artemis saw that Butler did have skills. He never jostled her in the slightest and suddenly Artemis didn't feel so bad about all the times that Butler had carried his passed-out form to bed without waking him.

Artemis opened his laptop and reviewed his wedding planner. He had found a minister that would perform the wedding ceremony at the manor. He decided against the whole 'church' thing as Holly was not Christian and this was still going to be a very Christian wedding, even without the church setting. Artemis had contacted a landscaping company to revitalize the back lawn and added more chairs to his order with the rental company. Artemis was plugging away on his laptop at his desk, ironing out the plans when Holly finally stirred.

"Ngh." Holly made an incoherent noise as she propped herself up on her elbow. "We're home?" she asked as she looked around.

"Yes. You fell asleep in the car. Butler placed you in bed. No.1 says 'goodbye and good luck' and that he shall be back to visit just as soon as he can. How are you feeling?"

Holly rubbed her eyes. "Oh man, he left?" She was upset she didn't get to say goodbye. She was so easily run-down lately. It was becoming very frustrating to her.

"Holly?"

"Mm?"

"How do you feel?" Artemis repeated his question.

"Oh. Fine. Actually, pretty good. I feel rested. I guess I needed that sleep." Holly shuffled out of bed and went to the bathroom. She called out from behind the closed door. "I hate having to pee all the time!"

Artemis smiled and went back to what he was doing. He was currently checking the status of his accounts when his cell buzzed against his hip. "Yes?" The I.D. revealed the caller to be Butler.

"There is someone here for you. They have a delivery from Giovanni Zito. They need _your_ signature." Butler explained. Normally, he signed for his packages but this delivery man was insistent he get the signature of the actual intended recipient.

"I'll be right there." he told Butler before pressing the 'Call End' button and placing the device back on the clip attached to his belt. "Holly?"

"Yeah." Holly emerged from the bathroom, her hair freshly combed and looking in general, much more awake.

"I will be downstairs. Dr. Zito's package has arrived and I need to sign." Artemis announced.

"I'll come with. I'm curious to know what the heck he sent you that took over six weeks to get here."

The two of them descended from the stairway together and found Butler speaking with the delivery man in the foyer. As Artemis approached, he nodded to Butler that he may be excused then addressed the man. "You requested me?"

The man looked at Artemis a bit puzzled. This kid was just a... kid. Still he resisted the urge to scoff because he was obviously rich and was hoping he'd get tipped. "Sir, are you Mister Artemis Fowl?"

"One of. Artemis Fowl the Second. Your package is from a Dr. Giovanni Zito of Sicily?" Artemis asked.

The delivery man looked down at his electronic signature pad he had with him. "Uhh, Yes. G. Zito - Sicily. Please sign here."

Artemis took the device to sign it. As he did so, the man asked him about where he wanted him to unload 'it'. Artemis looked at him quizzically. "What, pray tell, is 'it'?"

"The car. Where do you want it?"

"Woo. He sent you a car, Arty? That's cool. What kind?" Holly piped up.

"I don't know fancy sports cars. Something expensive, though. Is it okay if I park it in the avenue drive here?" the delivery man asked Artemis.

"I suppose." Artemis frowned. He already had two cars of his own that he almost _never_ drove. Most places he needed to go involved flying and when it didn't, Butler would drive him in the Bentley. He certainly wasn't the 'sports car' type. His BMW and Mercedes were examples of his taste in vehicles, leaning more towards luxury than raw performance.

Artemis and Holly followed the man out of the manor to find the ridiculously expensive jet black Italian sports car on the back of the flat bed truck. Holly didn't know what it was. Just that it looked fast. _"Sweeeet!"_ she sang as she watched it being unloaded. Artemis rolled his eyes, exasperated. Most 16 year-old boys would be freaking out about being _given_ an almost $1-million Italian sports car. Artemis, however, seemed less than impressed.

"Do you know what kind of car it is?" Holly asked. Artemis cocked an eyebrow at her. "Okay, I get it. _You know._ So tell me, 'cause I don't."

"It is a Pagani Zonda F, and rather rare. Zonda only puts out 10 cars a year and less than 100 exist in the world. This vehicle should go from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. It is currently the 8th fastest car in the world with a top speed of 215 mph and second most expensive production car at nearly a million dollars. Number 1 in that list of course is the Buggati Veyron at over $2 million. It is too much car, if you ask me." Artemis rattled off the stats as if he worked for the company. "If I wanted a car of this caliber, I would have preferred a SLR McLaren. However, I have no need for sports cars."

Holly actually understood most of what he said. Having been a pilot for years, she knew a thing or two about dangerous speeds, and just how fast 215 mph was for a land vehicle. "Wow. We gonna test it out?"

"You want to go for a drive in this death trap?" he asked her incredulously.

"Yeah. Someone gives you a car, you should at least be able to say that you honestly drove it when you call to say thank you." Holly argued.

She had a point. "Fine. We'll go get it registered. Then we are coming home." Artemis approached the delivery man who was flipping through some more papers.

"I need you to sign one more document saying you received it intact." he handed Artemis the clipboard with some paper forms on it. Artemis signed and returned it to the man. "Here. This is yours." he handed Artemis a manila envelope. "Papers and keys." he paused, "Let me know if this Dr. Zito needs anymore Irish friends." he joked.

Artemis gave the man a generous tip without counting it, before opening the envelope to retrieve the keys. "Just to get it registered, got it?" he dictated.

"Yeah, yeah." Holly ignored him and ran to the passenger door. "Unlock it."

Artemis sighed. "Fine." He unlocked the door for Holly before going around the front and getting into the driver's seat. Holly was already marveling at the interior when Artemis got in. "Not too much cabin room." he noted.

Artemis put on his safety belt and instructed Holly to do the same. Holly felt a little unsure. "You know how to drive stick, right? And you've got a _legal_ license?"

Artemis rolled his eyes at her. "Holly. Are you suffering from memory loss? Do you not recall me hot wiring a Mini Cooper at Rathdown Park to drive to Tara? That car was also a manual transmission. Granted it didn't have 6 gears..."

"Ah yes. Artemis Fowl adds Grand Theft Auto to his rap sheet at the tender age of 14." Holly mocked.

"Technically 17." he smiled, rather proud of his successful crime.

"Semantics." she smirked. "You gonna drive or what?"

Artemis depressed the clutch and put the key in the ignition. An impressed smile formed as the engine roared to life. He looked over at Holly, with all seriousness. "We're not going on a joy ride. We're just getting it registered."

Holly sulked and crossed her arms. "Fine." she answered, sounding disappointed.

Artemis tried not to laugh at her reaction and bit back his grin. He gave the throttle a gentle pulse and eased the clutch, just enough to propel the car slowly down the long front drive of the manor. He watched Holly from the corner of eye who was still sulking. Artemis smiled as he wondered why he enjoyed teasing her the way he did. He figured it might have something due to his lack of sisters, and therefore she got the brunt of pent-up childish sibling harassment. Regardless of the reason, he had no intentions of stopping. He suddenly let the clutch out and floored the throttle. They were out of the manor and off into the road in less than three seconds. Holly jolted backwards in her seat as the force of acceleration pressed against her. Artemis peeked over at her, plastered to the seat, eyes bugged out in terror. He started laughing like a kid as he ripped through the gears and Holly's knuckles whitened against the arm rest.

Butler had heard an engine starting that didn't sound anything like the Bentley or Artemis's BMW. However, when he got out to the avenue to investigate, all he saw was tire treads and smoke. No sign of either Holly or Artemis.

Holly watched trees and buildings whip by. The cabin was almost entirely glass. Despite it's tiny interior, it had fantastic panoramic views. Holly tried to convince herself she could trust his driving. He did fly a plane and helicopter after all and she was certain those were more difficult to operate, though at least those weren't so close to the ground. She took a deep breath and uncurled her fingers from the arm rest only to immediately replace them. Artemis had pulled on to the motorway and instantly cut off four other drivers. A blurry sign told her the speed limit was 120 _kph_. She looked over at the speedometer that was currently reading 120 _mph_.

"Who would have thought you'd be an aggressive driver." Holly said, praying they wouldn't die.

Artemis ignored her. "The steering is very responsive." he commented as if he were on a test drive.

"You realize you're speeding... like almost double the legal limit?" Holly announced though she knew he wouldn't care.

"Holly. One cannot help _but_ speed in a vehicle engineered to these specifications." Artemis was, once again, completely unrepentant for his illegal behavior. He took the next exit and flew towards some back roads he knew led to an abandoned air field. When they arrived, which didn't take long at all, Artemis didn't even bother warning Holly of his intentions. As he reached the open asphalt stretch he was thinking of, he stated very factually, "My cars don't have a 6th gear." and that was it. The scenery around them blurred into a haze as the engine screamed up to 175.

"Artemis! Give me a little warning please!" Holly yelled. She didn't mind being in a fast vehicle. In fact, she loved it... when she was in control. Trusting her life in anyone else's hands, even Artemis's, was unnerving. Artemis suddenly took a hairpin turn down the runway, drifting the car into a complete 180… at 180. The tires screamed and blasted up a massive cloud of blue-grey smoke as the car flew around, hunted for traction, and fishtailed slightly before blowing back down the straightaway at 190 mph.

Artemis was actually finding it quite thrilling to drive like a lunatic. But since he had no intentions of 'buying the farm' today, he braked just after he topped out at 212. The car came to a dead halt in less than 6 seconds and Artemis turned to Holly, a huge grin plastered on his face. Her face was white.

"Where did you learn to drive like that?" she finally spoke, slightly panting from mild hyperventilation.

Artemis thought about it. He never had driven like that before. "I'm not sure. Maybe you." Holly had picked up some of the aspects of piloting both the Lear and the Sikorsky that didn't come from any prior knowledge based on fairy shuttles. It was very likely he in turn, had acquired skills from her.

"Well, I'm thoroughly impressed. Even for you, Artemis." Holly smiled. Artemis could do a lot of things. A lot. Still, she wouldn't have put racecar driving on that list. She knew this car couldn't possibly be the easiest vehicle to operate and yet he handled it with the same precision he did everything he undertook. Holly was surprised to find that she was a little turned on right now.

"Glad you think so. Now, let's _honestly_ go get it registered." Artemis drove at a far more reasonable speed as he headed towards the exit of the airfield.

Artemis could feel something like _deviousness_ and possibly a bit of lust coming off of Holly as she spoke to him. "Artemis. How much can your genius brain handle at one time?" she asked. Her words sounded loaded.

"Plenty. Why are you asking?"

"Just curious." she reached across the seat, over the shifter and grabbed his crotch roughly.

The car jerked slightly as Artemis yelped. "Holly! What are you doing?"

"Testing your claim." she said calmly as she found the fly to his pants and zipped it open, slipping her hand inside.

"Holly, Stop! We're going to get in an accident!" Artemis sounded distressed as he could feel himself hardening under her touch.

"Really? I thought your genius brain could focus on 'plenty' all at once." Holly goaded him on as her hand squirmed into the inside of his shorts and wrapped around his stiffened member.

"Holly! This is highly indecent. Can't this wait until we're home?"

"Is that what you'd prefer?" she asked in a sultry voice.

Artemis paused for a moment, considering asking her to stop and then realizing that didn't sound very appealing. "No..." he weakly admitted.

"All right then." She continued to stroke him until he groaned under touch. He balanced the steering with his knee as he finished undoing his pants the rest of the way and pushing them down slightly to give her better access. His hips ground slightly against her grasp as he fought his desire to cinch his eyes shut and instead focus on driving. Holly smiled coyly as she stroked faster. He began to gnaw against his bottom lip but never took his eyes off the road. His hands began to wring the steering wheel as if it were a wet rag he was removing water from.

Holly removed her hand and Artemis forcibly exhaled. He wasn't sure if he was glad she stopped so he could focus on driving or if he truly wanted her to continue. He was more than just a little aroused right now. Not just due to her ministrations but there was something that seemed to link adrenaline with testosterone. He briefly looked over at her, wondering why it was she stopped. He noticed she was simply loosening her safety belt to have less restriction. Artemis found that he was indeed happy she intended to continue. What he didn't expect was how.

Holly shifted herself a bit awkwardly over the center console towards his lap. She took his cock in her hand, pumping it briefly before lowering her lips to gently kiss the tip. As her tongue lapped at the tip of his head, she heard him swear in six languages before signaling to pull over. She smiled knowing that she provoked such a fierce reaction. "Too much for your genius brain?" she purred.

Artemis said nothing but growled slightly at her provocation. _Yes it's too much..._ he thought to himself, then, _Just suck it. _Artemis tried to pull over somewhere discreet. There was a large sign indicating various destinations available off the next exit. Artemis pulled up behind it, commanding his brain to stay focused just a bit longer. He figured no one would see them as they approached from behind, and once they were beside the vehicle, the short glimpse their own speed would afford them would be focused on the vehicle itself and not the passengers.

With the vehicle now safely stopped, Holly unbuckled entirely. She offered him no mercy. She returned her mouth to his cock and swirled her tongue around the top of his shaft while working the base with her hand. Artemis was panting hard as he threw his head back against the backrest and his whitened fingers uncurled from the steering wheel. His left hand grabbed the edge of his seat and his right traveled into her hair. He never pressed her down despite his desire to do so. Instead he fisted her hair slightly, enough to tug against it slightly and illicit a moan out of her. As he began to roll his hips upwards towards her, Holly took more of him into her mouth slowly until she had him fully sheathed with the tip buried in the back of her throat. A small amount of fluid began to seep from it and she swallowed against him. The contracting muscles around his tip felt absolutely heavenly and he began to moan in response.

"God, Holly. Your mouth feels fucking exquisite. Don't stop." he rasped as he thrust lightly into her.

Holly moaned slightly at hearing his needy words. The vibration of her vocal cords sent him reeling and he tugged her hair slightly rougher. She could tell he was impossibly hard now to the point it must have been painful. She hollowed out her cheeks as she sucked hard and pulled him from her mouth, laying her tongue flat against the underside of his length as she did. As her tongue reached his head, she'd plummet back down right to the base of his cock. She repeated this motion several times until she could feel him tensing. He was so tightly wound that she knew he would be long before he burst.

"_Fuck_ Holly. Your mouth is so hot... and wet... It feels so good. I'm... I'm gonna..." he managed a small warning to prepare her for what was coming... literally. She pulled out mid way and continued to swirl her tongue around his head while returning to jerking her tightly fisted grasp around the rest of him. Holly heard him make several deliciously erotic gasps and groans until he momentarily stilled. Suddenly his release was shooting into her mouth and she tried to swallow it all but some still managed to end up on her face. She sat up to look at him and smiled proudly at her work.

"_Shit_... what in God's name possessed you to... Oh _fuck_..." Artemis panted senselessly. When he opened his eyes to look at this amazing creature he had been blessed with, she just beamed a smile before wiping the small about of cum from her chin then licking it off her finger. Artemis eyes widened as he unconsciously growled at the sight. "You _will_ be receiving compensation after our appointment tonight." he hissed between gritted teeth.

Holly's smile grew. "Wonderful. I shall look forward to it." she said with a smugness she could have only learned from Artemis.

"You're unbelievable." he started as he lifted his hips to pull his boxers and pants back up to his waist. Then he smiled at her with genuine affection. "Unbelievably amazing. Umm... Thank you" He sounded a bit unsure if he should actually give thanks for such a thing but since he sincerely felt grateful it seemed like the right thing to do. Holly pecked a kiss to his lips before sitting back in her seat and reattaching her safety belt.

Artemis was still completely dumbfounded. He just got a blow job in a million dollar sports car... from an elf. That wasn't even on the long list of sexual fantasies that had frequented his pubescent mind over the years. It was far more spectacular than anything he could have imagined. Artemis still had to wait a few minutes before he felt collected enough to continue driving. Holly decided to offer her assistance.

"Would you like me to drive?" Holly offered, hopeful.

"Do you want to?" Artemis asked. He didn't know for certain if she could drive an automobile designed by humans though he wouldn't put it past her for a second. She could drive _anything_ in his opinion. He had shown her once how to fly the Lear and she almost immediately picked up everything. It probably helped being partnered and acquiring aspects of the other's knowledge.

"I would _love_ to."

Artemis smiled warmly. "Then, by all means." he unfastened his safety belt and got out of the car to switch places with her. As she hopped out of the car and scurried around the back towards the driver's side, Artemis held the door open until she sat down in the seat and then closed it for her. She gave him a small head shake and although he couldn't hear her behind the glass, he could see her mouth 'Oh brother...'

As Artemis sat in the passenger seat, Holly was readjusting _everything_. The seat managed to pull up enough for her legs to comfortably be able to operate the pedals. She was, after all, close to 5 feet tall now and mostly legs at that.

"You're not on an onramp so you're going to have to get up to speed quickly… though that shouldn't be difficult in this vehicle." Artemis explained.

Holly nodded. She depressed the clutch as she shifted into first and inched back towards the road. When she saw she had a clear break, she floored it, sending Artemis back against his seat. _Retribution_ she thought, as he clung to the seat, his slender fingers looking as if they might pierce through the Italian leather upholstery.

As she merged onto the road with deft precision, she kept steady at 90 mph. "Where am I going?"

"Take the second exit, about 10 miles from here." Artemis calmed slightly. It was very a different sensation driving fast to being driven fast. He realized only too late that his little prank was a bit harsh and he would indeed be receiving payback sooner or later. Still he loved to see Holly's huge smile as she weaved between traffic. He briefly thought of all the small enjoyments her life in Haven involved that she sacrificed to be with him. He felt like he asked too much of her and hoped someday he could make it up to her.

As Holly took the exit, Artemis directed her the rest of the way to the Department of Transport office. Upon arrival, Holly parked and Artemis reached to for the manila envelope he had jammed between the seat and center console. "This won't take long. You just wait here." He kissed her on the cheek before leaving the car to head towards the building.

As Artemis entered the building, he noticed a very dreary counter being manned by several very dour government employees. A _very_ long line of commoners stood in queue waiting to be serviced. Artemis scowled. He certainly did not have all day. Normally, Butler would do these sort of things for him but Artemis was trying to take on more tasks for himself so he could justify to Butler that he did not need to constantly hover. One day, Butler would retire and Artemis had no intentions of hiring a replacement.

Artemis walked directly to the counter to the first available clerk. "I need to register my vehicle." he told the middle-aged man behind the counter.

The man narrowed his eyes at him. "Sir, please take a place in line."

"I'm afraid I don't have the time for that today." Artemis responded as he placed the papers down in front of the man.

"If you don't have time today, come back when you do." he answered tersely.

"No. I don't think I will. I've already made the trip here so I shall have it done now." Artemis wouldn't have had to press the issue this much with Butler at his side. Regardless, there was one thing that made most people very persuasive and fortunate for Artemis, he had a lot of it. He pulled out his wallet and gave the man his license… with 500 Euros folded under it.

The man looked at him puzzled. "It doesn't cost this much to register a vehicle, Mister..." he lifted up Artemis's license to see his name. _Fowl?... Of course. I would have to get the crime lord's son. _

"That is not for the registration fee. You will charge that to my card. That is for your fee." Artemis explained levelly.

The man breathed uneasily. "Very well, Mr. Fowl. Can I see the title of the vehicle you'd like to register?"

Artemis found the title and handed it to him. "I am not registering it in my name. I have all the other documents you may need." Of course these 'other documents' were fabricated but this clerk wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

The man took the title from him and began to enter the information in the computer. "So you're registering your new..." the man paused to read the make and model off the title, "...Pagani Zonda?" _Must be nice to be rich..._ "Very nice, sir." he smiled to Artemis.

"Well, thank you but it was not my choice. It was gift."

The man shook his head in disbelief. _What kind of 'gift' is that?_ "From your parents?"

"No. A business associate of mine." Artemis answered vaguely. Usually, Artemis would be more curt with someone asking questions like these even if he was just trying to be friendly or make light conversation. However, Artemis was feeling curiously elated currently.

The man stopped his questions there. This boy was old enough to have contacts of his own in the underworld and news had traveled that Artemis Senior returned back to Ireland a few years ago. Of course, this man didn't know what the Fowl's enterprises or avenues of revenue were these days and assumed it was the same as always. A business associate who gives a sports car as a gift? He looked at the title to see it was transported from Italy from a Giovanni Zito. The clerk assumed the worse and quickly worked through the registration process before this kid got impatient and sent the Mafia after him.

All out of chit chat, the man asked him only a few more questions before completing all the paper work. The clerk handed everything back to Artemis, including a receipt. He used a _portion_ of the money Artemis gave to him for bribery just to get this boy out of his sight. "You're all set, sir. You have a pleasant day."

Artemis raised his eyebrows a bit surprised as he accepted the paperwork. _Well, that was not nearly as horrible an experience as everyone claims it to be._

As Artemis left the office building, he approached Holly who was stretched out on the hood of the car with her arms crossed behind her head. She had her eyes closed and legs crossed at the ankles. He smirked as he silently walked right next to her. "Comfortable?"

Holly jumped. "Frond! Don't scare me! You know I don't have fantastic bladder control right now."

Artemis laughed. "Sorry."

"I thought you'd take forever. I figured I should just get comfortable. It's too bad those seats don't recline."

"It is a real shame." Artemis agreed but the dirty grin that was spreading on his face told Holly he had a double-meaning in his sentiments.

She bit her lip as she caught his meaning but knew she really shouldn't be 'active' only hours before her appointment. It would have to wait. "Are we all set then?" she said as she hopped off the car.

"Yes. Would you like to drive your new car home?" Artemis smiled as he handed her the paperwork.

"_My_ car?"

"See for yourself. It's in your name."

Holly looked at the paperwork. Sure enough, he had somehow registered it in her name without her having a license or any legal documentation. She knew that wouldn't have prevented him. Still she wondered why. "You're _giving_ me this car?"

"Of course. What am I going to do with _three_ cars? I don't even drive the two I have. Besides, you seem to be a naturally born speed-demon. I'm sure you'd appreciate the vehicle more than I. I just ask that you always exercise caution."

"Wow... Thank you, Arty." she looked blankly at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "This doesn't have anything to do with the B.J. in the car, does it?"

Artemis feigned insult. "You think I could be persuaded with sex?"

"Absolutely."

"You're right. I could be. But, no. That's not why I'm giving you this. Holly, I have taken you away from 500 mph shuttles and lightening fast wing sets. I can't give you those things no matter how much I'd love for you to still have them. If there's anything I could do for you that would even be a remotely similar compromise, I would give it to you in a heart beat."

Holly blushed slightly. She did miss flying desperately, both in a shuttle and with wings. But Holly was aware of the sacrifices she was making when she moved in with Artemis. She was touched by how much he tried to constantly please her in every way. "Thank you again, Artemis." She pecked a kiss on him.

"You're welcome. Now, will you be driving?"

"Of course. Get in."

Holly drove home at a reasonable speed. Artemis and her talked briefly about her upcoming visit with the warlock but Holly could feel Artemis getting too stressed out so she changed the subject. She asked more about the car and how she needed to take care of it. Artemis didn't know much about auto maintenance except calling a mechanic and that it was best to keep the vehicles in the garage. Thankfully, there was space for yet another car in the Fowl garage.

When they got home, Artemis had Holly drive up to the garage door. He got out and punched in a complicated pass code to access the inside. Artemis noted to himself he'd have to get a remote for her. As the door rolled up, Holly drove in and Artemis directed her to the back where there was room. After she parked and they were heading back towards the manor, something grabbed her attention and she stopped to gawk at the items in the garage. "Who's are those?" she asked incredulously as she pointed at two motorcycles.

"The Harley is Butler's. The Ducati belongs to Juliet. You are _never_ allowed on one of those things." he stated flatly.

Holly smirked. She wasn't going to make any promises. But she also didn't intend on dying and killing Artemis in the process.

When they arrived in the front foyer of the manor, Butler was there, looking relieved to have them back. "Please tell me when you're going to take off like that, Artemis."

"Butler, I had my phone. You could have activated the GPS locator on it from your own phone or simply called me if you were concerned about my whereabouts."

"I know. I still don't like when I can't see you with my own eyes."

"Well, don't expect me to bring you along on my honeymoon, old friend." Artemis knew he'd protest. Which he did.

"Artemis. You can't surely mean you're not going to allow me to come?"

"I surely do mean exactly that. It's my honeymoon, Butler. It's a rather private affair, wouldn't you agree?"

Butler grumbled. He'd have to follow him covertly without Artemis's knowledge.

* * *

Dinner had come and Artemis and Holly made their way to the kitchen to join the rest of the family. Juliet was assisting Butler with the meal preparation when she noticed the two enter the room.

"How are you feeling, Holly? Still have a tummy ache?" she asked.

Holly shrugged. "Not too bad. I seem to feel better by mid-afternoon, just a little run-down." Holly answered, trying to be vague. Holly had been suffering with morning sickness for several days now and even though she never vomited, she had no appetite and just felt generally nauseous. Juliet had noticed but figured it had something to do with the physical changes that her body was going through, which it did. Just not the ones that Juliet knew about.

Artemis Senior addressed Holly, also concerned about her health. "Holly, do you wish to see a doctor? It's very unusual to be sick for days on end like this. Perhaps you have a bout of food poisoning."

Artemis Junior interjected. "She does not have food poisoning. Her sickness is a side-effect of the human growth hormones in her body." Not a lie. However his parents would assume he was referring to the growth hormones that had made her tall. In the past week, Holly had gained an additional three inches, presumably due to the pregnancy hormones. The small amount of growth had been enough to warrant her need for new clothes. Artemis ordered her a few things online, because of course, she was not allowed to 'exert' herself by shopping. She didn't want too many things since she'd be needing maternity clothing soon. When Artemis had mentioned that fact to Holly, she visibly shuddered.

Recently, Holly found certain aspects of Artemis's treatment towards her infuriating. She would have thought having someone dote on her would have been nice but Holly wasn't really that type. Artemis was driving her crazy. Telling her what she could and couldn't eat and that she needed to lay down in the middle of the day. She was ready to slug him.

His parents had started to notice a difference in his behavior too, but said nothing. Holly and Artemis agreed they'd wait until they absolutely couldn't hide the pregnancy anymore before they told his parents. They were hoping that would be _after_ the wedding. So far, Holly wasn't showing and probably wouldn't for months yet. But Holly noticed the physical differences; her breasts were swelling, she had to pee _all_ the time and she seemed to be hungry more often throughout the afternoons and evenings but when she did eat, she could barely finish a meal.

Once dinner was finished, Angeline requested an after-dinner coffee. When Butler asked if anyone else wanted one, Holly piped up. The caffeine would be nice to help her stay awake for a few more hours for her appointment. It was only 8:15 and she was ready to pack it in for the night even though she just took a nap. _This is ridiculous_ she thought. When she requested the caffeinated beverage, Artemis glared at her lividly.

"You will drink milk." he commanded.

Holly frowned. "I will drink whatever I so please." she challenged, not thinking anything of her beverage choice.

Artemis scowled at Butler, daring him to disobey. Butler hated being thrown in the middle. Still, his allegiance lay with Artemis, no matter how absurd his requests were. He turned to Holly with apologetic eyes. "Holly, would you like a glass of milk?"

Holly huffed indignantly. "You're unbelievable! I will drink or eat whatever I damn well please!" she shouted.

Artemis challenged her. "You most certainly will not! You are not... you have to..." Artemis had stumbled through what he could possibly say in the presence of others. "Don't be selfish."

Holly returned his scowl with one of her own. "FINE!" she shouted. _"You're such a jackass, Arty. I swear this kid is definitely going to be an only child simply because you will not be able to reproduce again if you keep this up. I certainly hope you are catching my drift here."_ she continued in Gnommish.

Artemis ignored her threat. "Milk." he ordered Butler.

Holly fumed while Butler brought her a glass of milk. She glared at Artemis as she drank it. He just continued to ignore her.

Angeline and Artemis Senior were bewildered by their exchange. Having been married for 20 plus years, they both felt they could offer the new couple some assistance.

"Arty dear..." Angeline began, "What is the matter? Holly can certainly have a cup of coffee if she so pleases. You cannot make decisions for her, you know." she tried to sound as if she wasn't reprimanding him but simply offering him guidance.

Artemis shouted at his mother, suddenly enraged. "SHE..." he started, pointing at Holly, "Is not taking proper care of herself!" Artemis's emotions were uncontrollable lately. He was so stressed about the whole situation that he found he was blowing up over the slightest things.

"Son. Holly is her own person, and an adult at that. She can make her own decisions." Artemis Senior had tried to reason.

"You do not have all the facts, father. Do not _presume _you know our circumstances." Artemis grumbled, trying to rein in his anger.

"Perhaps you'd like to enlighten me then." his father said, rather irritated with his son's disrespectful tone.

Artemis sighed. "Can we please drop it? I do not wish to discuss this topic further."

Holly felt a bit guilty. It was true. His parents didn't understand their partnering. They _certainly_ didn't know about the pregnancy. Holly really did need to think about the people's lives she effected with the decisions she made regarding her own health. Artemis was tied to her soul. If, for whatever reason, she became ill due to her own poor choices, she'd take Artemis to the grave with her. Aside from that, she had to think of their child who ate and drank everything she did...

"I'm sorry." she muttered, truly apologetic.

Artemis looked at her, shocked then suddenly crestfallen. "No... I'm sorry. I'm being unreasonable. You can certainly have one caffeinated beverage a day. Any medical practitioner would agree to that."

"No, you're right Artemis. I need to think about... more than just myself now." Holly mumbled quietly.

Angeline was no fool. This exchange was more than curious. Artemis didn't want her to have the coffee because of the caffeine. But a doctor would say one caffeinated drink would be okay. She was being 'selfish' to him but then she admitted she has to think of 'more than' just herself. The nausea in the morning that dissipated by afternoon. The exhaustion. Human growth hormones... the wheels turning in her head were visible on her face. When her eyes suddenly lit up, Artemis knew it was all over.

"Jesus Christ, Arty! Is Holly PREGNANT?" Angeline's voice kicked up three full octaves and there was not a drop of disappointment in the statement, regardless of her son's age or marital status.

Everyone turned towards the two, including the two Butlers. Juliet was gaping in shock. Holly turned ghost white and Artemis could feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat. Neither of them said anything. What could they say? Words had completely escaped them both. The silence itself was confirmation enough for his family.

"Son, is this true?" Artemis Senior spoke up, not sounding as tickled pink as his wife was.

Artemis completely averted his father's glare. "Umm. Yes, sir." he practically whispered.

The next sound that filled the room was Angeline's shriek of joy. She bolted up from her chair and shouted. "I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA! Honey! Do you hear that? We're going to have a grandchild!" She took hold of her husband's shoulders and shook him violently.

Both Holly and Artemis jumped at Angeline's reaction. Artemis tried to control the situation. "Mother please! It's still very early. Please calm yourself!"

Myles and Beckett were thoroughly confused by this entire situation. Beckett turned to his brother to ascertain he was correctly on board with the events that had played out thus far. "If mum is going to be a grandmother, that makes us 'uncles', correct?"

Myles nodded, not entirely enthused. "Correct, brother."

"Sweet. We're going to have a nephew." Beckett smiled.

"Or niece." Myles corrected.

"Or nieces." Beckett's smile got impossibly larger.

Even Myles smiled but on him it seemed to look a bit more malicious. "Or nephews."

"Or both." they spoke in unison.

Holly gaped before turning to Artemis completely panicked. "We're not though... just one, right? Please tell me it's just one..."

Artemis grimaced. "It's too early to tell."

"D'Arvit! Artemis! What have you done to me?" she shrieked.

"Me? I would have worn a condom if you didn't specifically tell me that you were unfertile!" Artemis shouted back, momentarily oblivious to his parents and kid brothers sitting at the table with him.

"Ahem." Artemis Senior pretended to clear his throat. Artemis suddenly realized what he blurted out and promptly flushed red.

"Son, how did this happen?" his father asked.

Artemis released a huge sigh. "How do you _think_, father?"

"I'm aware of the logistics involved. I do have three children of my own. What I'm curious to know about is why you didn't suspect this may happen? I'm assuming this pregnancy wasn't exactly planned?"

"Of course not. Holly was not supposed to be fertile for another four years. When we underwent our partnering, her body went through changes, including her growth spurt. It appears her cycle was also changed unbeknownst to either of us so we continued to... act under the assumption that there would be no chance of conception."

Artemis Senior nodded. "I see. What is your plan moving forward?"

"Holly is having her first visit tonight with a medic from Haven. We're going to see what is needed in order for her to have the child safely."

Artemis Senior released a breath he'd unconsciously been holding in a huff. "Well," he began, "please let us know if you need anything. We'll help however we can."

Artemis fidgeted with his fingers nervously. "Thank you. I will."

Angeline burst towards the two of them and hugged them both simultaneously. "I'm so happy for you two!" she squealed, before returning to her seat. She bounced in it, no longer needing the coffee.

Artemis and Holly seemed completely uncomfortable at the table. His parents asked a few more questions before they could tell they really didn't want to discuss the matter further right now. Angeline and Artemis Senior talked about more mundane things, but once in a while, Angeline would throw in comments like "Which room do you want for the nursery?" to which Holly would just shrug. Artemis made a weak excuse for the two of them and the said their good-nights to the family.

As soon as they made it to the main foyer, Artemis released all the air in his lungs in a loud huff. "Oh my GOD. That was NOT supposed to happen."

"Relax, Arty. They were going to find out sooner or later." Holly tried to offer some reassurance.

"Later would have been preferable. Like after the wedding."

"Why are you making a big deal out of it? It's not like your parents are ignorant to our sex life." Holly questioned.

"It's just... iniquitous, that's all."

Holly patted his hand in her own. "Don't worry about it, Arty. If the child takes after my side, then he or she will not be born until long after we've been married for 9 months. I doubt anyone outside your family will suspect a thing. Besides, your parents seemed happy. At least Angeline."

Artemis honestly hoped this was the case. Both about his parents' approval and that the child's gestation would save face for him. "Holly. The medic will be here shortly. I want you to make your way over to the room we set up last week. I'll be there shortly."

Holly agreed and left for the room that was set up for her 'appointment' today, leaving Artemis in the foyer alone.

Artemis Senior left the kitchen and found his son standing by himself in the foyer, looking contemplative. He approached him from behind, grasping him on the shoulder. "Son. Can we talk?"

Artemis groaned but nodded. "I can't be long. The medic is coming to see Holly shortly."

"I won't take up much time." His father led him into the conference room and poured himself a glass from the decanter. "Would you like one?" he asked him, still holding the liquor. Artemis politely refused. The medic would be there any minute and he preferred to have all his mental faculties functioning properly. Plus he thought whiskey was vile. Artemis Senior turned to face him, finding a bit of amusement in the slightly terrified expression in his son's face.

"Arty. I recognize you and Holly love each other very much. In fact, I think she has been very good for you. And as two people in love, of course you have the desire to be affectionate."

Artemis was trying to hide the fact that he was cringing. He was pretty sure his father already attempted to have this talk with him many years ago and that there was no point to having it once again. Especially now.

"In any case, I'm sure you did try to take some precautionary measures. However, you know there is only one method of birth control that is 100%, and you know which method that is." his father smiled.

_Abstinence._ Artemis thought dryly. Whatever his father's point was, he wish he would just make it already.

"So, I recognize that things happen, despite our best efforts. Your mother and I weren't planning on adding you to the family so soon but we were thrilled all the same."

Artemis gaped at his father. _I was an 'accident'?_

"Arty. I just want you to know that I'm happy you're taking responsibility. I had several acquaintances when I was your age that found themselves in a similar situation and they either ran away or 'eliminated the problem' as they saw it. I'm sure you realize your life will never be the same after this, and to still choose this option, is very admirable for such a young man."

Artemis blinked out of surprise. He wasn't expecting that. "I.. uh.. Thank you?" Artemis stuttered.

Artemis Senior laughed heartily. "You're quite welcome. Now, how are you doing? Are you nervous?"

"Terrified." Artemis admitted quickly.

His father nodded. "Understandable. And don't think that has anything to do with your age. Whether you're 19 or 39 when you have your first child, you'll be nervous. It's an enormous responsibility and completely life altering. No amount of studying or interviews with other parents, can adequately prepare you for the experience yourself. Every child is so different. Look at your brothers. They're identical twins - the same age, same genetic make up in every way. They were raised in the same environment, and yet they are completely different. You have to adapt to each child's requirements. Plus it's not a job you can quit and you don't 'complete' the job at any point in your life. Regardless of the fact that your child grows up and becomes an adult responsible for themselves, you are their parent forever. Still, son, I want you to know you boys have been my greatest joy. Every challenge has been met with its' own rewards. I just ask that you learn from my mistakes, Arty. I wasn't the father you needed as a child. I thought of myself as nothing more than a mentor, to train you and prepare you to lead our family's empire. And even though training your child is your responsibility as a father, letting them know they're loved is more important. I failed you in that aspect."

"Father, you did not fail me -" Artemis started.

"I did. You just proved it in the first word out of your mouth. I treated you as nothing more than a student, an apprentice. Not my own flesh and blood child. I know I can't go back in time and change things for you, Arty. I can only do better by you moving forward and hope that I can teach you to avoid making the same errors as me."

Artemis wasn't sure what to say. He had not been expecting these heartfelt expressions from his father. He didn't think of his father as a failure. It was true that when Artemis saw the twins bolt into their bedroom in the morning and wrestle with their father, Artemis did feel a bit envious that that was never a man he had known as a child. But Artemis was reasonable and knew that having his father changed now was better than never, and having him at all was better than dead or missing. He could only think of one thing to say to his father to let him know he truly was never disappointed in him.

"You never failed me, _Dad_."

Artemis Senior's eyes look a bit glassy as he pulled his son into a tight hug. "Thank you, son. I know I can't take all the credit, but I hope you know how proud I am of you, of the man you've become. You're a good son, and you'll be an excellent father yourself."

Artemis actually had to choke back his tears. This was not the dictator he had been raised by. This was a real father. Artemis found himself losing the battle to control his emotion as he hugged him in return. Dry, choked sobs shook him as he was overcome by his feelings; weeks of stress, anger, fear and confusion flooded out. To know he had his father's unfailing support was more than comforting.

Artemis quickly composed himself and stepped back from his father. "Sorry." he mumbled as he wiped his eyes.

"Don't be. I never could go to my father and I always resented him for that. I don't want any of my sons to feel that way about me. I'm always here for you, Artemis. No matter what."

"Thank you." Artemis huffed as his nerves began to settle.

His father smiled. "You sure you don't want a drink?"

Artemis smiled in return. "No. Thank you. The medic will be here shortly and I would like to be conscious for the visit."

"Very well. Let us know how everything goes."

"Certainly."

Almost on queue, Artemis's phone buzzed. This time, the caller was listed as 'Unknown'. Artemis had an idea of who that might be. No one had his cell phone number except Butler and one of his friends who had _all _the numbers.

"Hello?" Artemis didn't announce his name, in case it wasn't who he thought.

"Artemis. The shuttle with the medic is landing in your front lawn right now. Take him into a private room with Holly." Foaly instructed.

"Of course." he said, then hung up. Artemis turned back to his father, smiled weakly, then left to meet Butler in the foyer.

Artemis had Holly waiting in one of the downstairs staff quarters, which of course, was vacant. His mother had just retired to their suite and father would be joining her any minute now. The boys were in their beds. Juliet was around somewhere but she had already recovered her fairy memories so he didn't worry about her being possibly exposed to more fairies and their technology.

Artemis opened the front door and could just make out the haze of the shuttle. Suddenly, it appeared as if an access door opened out of thin air and two figures appeared, carrying equipment. As the two approached, Artemis was wary of the LEP pilot that was accompanying the elf who was no doubt by his white coat, the medical warlock. Once the two had made their way into the foyer, Artemis addressed the pilot.

"You are not an assistant. You are LEP. Butler will take the equipment from here. You may wait in the shuttle." Artemis addressed the LEP officer tersely.

The officer removed his helmet, confirming Artemis's suspicion. "I want to see Holly, _Fowl_."

"You are not welcome in my home, _Kelp_." he spat his name with all the contempt he felt for him.

"I am going to see Holly, even if that means I have to use force!"

"You're not going anywhere near her! Now leave!"

Butler was feeling unsettled over this conversation. Artemis never used a threatening, shouting tone to intimidate someone. His usual means were cunning remarks where half of what he said wouldn't have been understood by any layman. To see him shouting at an armed officer was an audacious move even by Artemis's standards. Butler pulled him back away from Trouble and stood between them. "Commander Kelp. Please do as Artemis asks." he instructed calmly.

"I'll take you down too, Mud Giant, if I have to. Let me see her! I just need to talk to her!"

"What on earth is going on out here? Did I hear..." Holly gasped as the entire scene came into view. "Trouble. What are you doing here?"

"Holly." Trouble gawked at this very tall elf who looked exactly like his old lover in every way but height and the longer hair. He pushed passed Butler to go to her. He stopped as he heard guns being cocked.

"Not another step. You touch her, I pull the trigger, got it? This isn't a Neutrino, Little Elf." Butler had his Sig Sauer aimed at his head and there was a red laser dot vibrating on his chest. He looked up, passed Butler to see Juliet on the staircase landing, a sniper rifle perched over the railing aimed directly at him.

"Calm down! All of you!" Holly shouted. "Commander, why are you here?"

_"Look what he's done to you... he's turning you into one of them. Maybe it's not too late, Holly. Come home. The medics can work on breaking your partnering and purge your body from his genes. All of them. The medic here has the equipment with us to get that thing out of you."_ Trouble spoke in Gnommish but that only kept Juliet from the conversation.

Artemis charged at the two of them, shoving the Commander by his shoulder two feet away from Holly. Holly had never seen him so angry. She subconsciously stepped back from him as he positioned himself in front of her, blocking Kelp from her. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!" he screamed at him with top volume.

"Artemis! Stop it!" Holly shrieked. Butler clamped a restraining grip on Artemis's shoulder before he could launch himself at Trouble. "Trouble, please leave." she continued.

_"Holly. Please. Be reasonable. You can't actually want this life? To have his... monster spawn?"_ Trouble pleaded with her.

Now Holly was getting upset. "Don't talk about my child that way. Leave now or I won't ask either Butler to hold back." Holly tried to sound collected.

Trouble looked at Holly, disgusted. _"At least I can tell my conscience that I tried. You've always been so unreasonable."_ Trouble responded as he turned towards the door. He stopped briefly to speak to Artemis. "Remember, Mud Boy. You don't deserve her. You never will." he spat before addressing the medic. _"I'll be in the shuttle when you're ready to go."_

Artemis was completely seething. He had no idea why he felt like belting that ignorant prick but he was trying with all his mental capacity to rein his anger in. _How dare he..._ Holly heard Artemis literally growl before Trouble left the house.

The medic, who was scared shitless currently, finally unfroze. "That... was unexpected." he turned towards Holly who was trying to hide the fact that she was shaking. "Ms. Short. Shall we get on with your examination?" _So that I can get out of here and get the Commander home..._ he thought.

"Um, yeah. Please. This way." Holly turned to walk towards the room she had been in. As Holly entered the room with the medical warlock and Artemis behind her, she asked where he'd like her. He told her to lay on the bed but that he'd need her clothes off. Artemis had suspected that this might be the case and had purchased a hospital gown for her. The medic waited outside the room while she changed. Artemis sat in a chair in the opposite side of the room, stewing about his recent encounter.

"You know. It's you. You got my height, but I got your temper. That's why I've been so out of control lately. I thought it was the stress over the whole situation with the child but I've had my physical life threatened and stayed in better control. It's your emotions. They're too fiery for even my intellect." Artemis accused.

Holly gave him a incredulous look as she removed the last item of clothing from her body and slipped the gown on. "Arty, please drop it. Trouble is an idiot. We both know that. Forget he even showed his face."

The medic knocked on the door and asked if he could reenter. Holly had her gown on and sat at the edge of the bed. As the warlock entered, he brought with him several cases of equipment. Artemis got up from the chair and hovered over her protectively. If Trouble was right and this medic had equipment to terminate her pregnancy, he would be watching every single thing he did.

"First, I'm going to ascertain that the embryo is in position. If the pregnancy is ectopic, she will need to return to Haven with me so that we can transplant it." the medic explained to Artemis who nodded in response. The medic grabbed what appeared to be a tablet laptop from his case and a small wand that attached to it. "Sorry, you're still too early for the external." he apologized. Holly didn't understand but Artemis did. He frowned at the thought of another male sticking _anything_ inside Holly... there. Even if it was for medical purposes.

"What do you mean 'too early for external'? You have to do an _internal_? How?" she asked, a bit frightened sounding. The medic simply held up the long wand in to her vantage point to which Holly replied with a flat "Oh."

"Holly. He needs to see the baby. Would you prefer I do it?" Artemis offered.

"No. I'd prefer neither of you do it." Holly sighed. "Arty. Just let the medic do his job." Holly cinched her eyes shut as she laid down and opened her legs.

The medic moved towards Holly but paused to look at Artemis. He had heard some frightening things about this man. Not to mention the simple fact that he was, a Mud Man and therefore, dangerous. The medic had done many obstetrical visits in his long career. None of them had been on a hybrid child. When LEP had contacted him for this job, he jumped at the chance. It was definitely something to give his memoirs an added edge.

"You won't feel this." he offered to Holly. Of course, Holly was clenching and as such, felt every inch enter her body. The foreign object was unnaturally hard and the cold lubricant made her shiver. Once he had the wand in position, he turned the screen on. Immediately a 4-D color image of the inside of Holly's womb came into view. Artemis was most impressed by the technology. It was decades ahead of human's. The medic shifted the wand slightly and Holly made a small grunt from the discomfort. "Sorry." he said as he moved the wand, looking for the child. "Ah. There."

Artemis gawked at the screen that simply showed a white dot within a black circle. Still, he knew what that was. It was his child. The medic typed in some commands and the screen zoomed in. It still wasn't much to see, but the white dot visibly fluttered. A heart beat. A few more commands were typed in and a rhythmic line appeared at the bottom of the screen. It registered 148 bpm. "Very good. Perfect position. Strong heart. You two have a healthy child growing here."

Holly let out a relieved laugh as the doctor held up the screen for her. Not just to hear it was healthy, but to hear there was just one in there. She touched the spot that showed the fluttering white dot and smiled warmly. "That's my baby." she choked out quietly.

"Ms. Short. I'd like to take a sample of your amniotic fluid, with your consent of course." the medic asked.

Artemis wasn't sure about amniocentesis. It had a rather high miscarriage rate and didn't think he wanted to risk it. Yet, Holly nodded to him as if it were nothing.

"Holly, this procedure has risks. Are you sure?"

The medical warlock spoke directly to Artemis. "The procedure has risks the way you humans are still doing it. There is absolutely no risk to either child or mother with our techniques."

Holly took Artemis's hand which felt clammy. "Arty. It's safe. Don't worry."

Artemis didn't say anything before Holly had given the medic her permission to proceed. A hair-thin needle exited the tip of the wand and punctured the tiniest hole in the amniotic sac. The needle was laced with anesthesia and so Holly felt nothing other than an odd tingle. Milliseconds later, the needle had siphoned two CC's of fluid and deposited it into a small vile. He removed the wand from inside of her, much to Holly's relief, and ejected the vile.

After placing the vile into another device that was basically a portable lab, he reached into his bag and retrieved another tool. "This is a Doppler." the medic told Artemis as he held up what looked like a small pen attached to a box with a speaker. "Similar to the ones you have but more sensitive. Your Doppler's can only start to pick up an child's heart beat once it's in second trimester. This one can pick up the slightest beat." After that, he lifted Holly's gown, exposing her completely from the waist down. Holly made a small grimace before she composed herself. She'd have to get over any hopes of modesty during these exams. There wasn't any chance of maintaining it.

The medic squirted a glob of freezing cold gel on her abdomen then placed the pen to her stomach. Alien swishing sounds emitted from the speaker box. He moved the pen around her lower pelvic area until he rested just inside her left hip bone. The sound that came through was more than amazing to both Holly and Artemis. It sounded like exactly what it was... a heartbeat under water. Holly's breath caught as she listened intently. Artemis stared at her belly in dumb amazement. There was no physical evidence externally of her pregnancy, yet here all this technology had laid it all bare for them.

"Here, dad, you want to hold this while I grab the report here?" the medic addressed Artemis.

Artemis blinked as he realized he was speaking to him. He swallowed hard at being addressed by his new title. Still he composed himself and held the Doppler pen against Holly while the medic went back to his portable lab device that was analyzing her amniotic fluid. Artemis looked at Holly while they listened to their child's heart. He wondered if she could possibly be feeling and thinking what he was. From what he could read from her, it seemed like she was. Maybe she was less fearful than him, less pessimistic. He could tell she was still a bit scared but it was overruled by her joy. He took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it gently.

The medic read over the report. "Everything looks good so far. Actually, surprisingly normal by elf standards. So are you two interested in knowing the gender or do you want to be surprised?"

Artemis and Holly looked at one another with surprise. Even with amniocentesis, generally the earliest humans could know their child's sex was 11 weeks. Here Holly was only 6 weeks in and the medic had it written in front of him, on that report.

"It's your choice, Holly."

Holly thought about it but this pregnancy was already so full of surprises. She figured gender was one thing she _would _like to know about. At least then her child wouldn't be referred to as 'it' anymore. "I'd like to know, but only if you are okay with that."

Artemis smiled. "I was actually hoping you would say that. I would also like to know."

Holly smiled and looked back at the medic and nodded.

The medic looked at the report and then back to them. "A boy." he announced.

Artemis's eyes lit up as he beamed a smile at Holly. "A boy! Holly! We're having a son!" he exclaimed happily.

Holly smiled affectionately as tears pricked her eyes. It was so overwhelming to think she was actually having a child with Artemis. And to see him so happy about it after weeks of agonizing, made her cry with joy. It was a bit odd to be crying and smiling all at once. Artemis kissed her lovingly and chastely then wiped the tears from her cheeks. The medic smiled at their exchange. It was nice to see that despite being a human, he truly loved his partner.

The medic congratulated both of them heartily. Artemis was pleasantly surprised to find this elf, who by human standards appeared to be in his 50's but Artemis knew he must be several centuries old, was completely non-judgmental. Artemis was known among the People. Many of which did not think highly of him. And here he was a human, who had taken an elf as his mate and impregnated her. Yet he offered his sincere congratulations. Artemis gave him a proud smile as he shook his hand and thanked him for everything.

"Mr. Fowl. Since your son is a hybrid, the gestation will be shorter than an average pureblood elf's. Based on the boy's current rate of growth, I can only offer you a loose estimate for her due date. I'd say somewhere between 15 and 16.5 months, since the child is male."

Artemis nodded. 3 months to the wedding would give her another 12 at least before she gave birth. In any other human's eyes, it would appear that she wouldn't have conceived until 3 months after they were wed. It was good news.

"Will she grow anymore? The hormones are altering her height." Artemis asked.

"No, that isn't from the pregnancy. That's from your partnering. I was told about your situation. She is probably done by now. I'd say maybe another inch at the absolute most." the medic informed him.

Artemis nodded. He had another question he needed to ask but stupidly felt embarrassed. "Is it safe for us... to be intimate during her pregnancy?"

"Yes, it shouldn't be a problem for the time being. If she has any bleeding, then hold off and call me until I can examine her. Otherwise it should be perfectly safe."

"Thank you once again. When will you be back for another visit?"

"A month. Would you like me to email you the ultrasound video and Doppler audio?"

Artemis smiled brightly. "Please do. I know nothing would make my mother happier." Artemis briefly imagined his mother dissolving into a teary, sobbing mess as she listened to her grandson's heart beat.

"Good. Keep in touch if you need anything." The medic left and Butler escorted him back to his shuttle.

They were both left alone together once he left. Holly sat up and moved towards the edge of the bed. Artemis sat beside her and combed his fingers through her hair. "Are you happy?" he asked.

"Yes. Very much so. What about you?" she asked, a bit wary.

"Immensely." he smiled.

Holly looked down at her belly and rubbed it tenderly. "Looks like Artemis Fowl the Third will be gracing the world with his presence in just over a year." she laughed meekly.

"Holly." Artemis looked at her, very serious. "You don't have to stick to all human customs. You can name him whatever you want."

Holly could sense he was being honest but there was a hopeful streak within the flood of emotions he was emitting. "And what if I _want _that name?"

"Then..." he started but swallowed hard to regain control of his voice. "Nothing would afford me any greater honor."

Holly smiled, knowing for once beyond of shadow of a doubt that he was being 100% honest with her. "Then it's decided. Can I choose a middle name? One from my people?"

Artemis was still reeling that she'd agree to having their son carrying his family's name. "What name did you have in mind?"

"Julius."

Artemis smiled and nodded approvingly. "Artemis Julius Fowl the Third. That's a bit of a mouthful." he chuckled lightly.

"That's why he's A.J. for short. Besides, having three Artemis's in one household might get confusing."

"Agreed." Artemis said to her then placed his hand on her belly. "Congratulations, son. You have a name."

**Chapter Notes: Okay I want you all to know why I chose a boy. Holly conceived on a full moon on May 27th. Folklore suggests that a woman who conceives on a full moon has a boy while conception on a new moon would produce a girl. It is thought that it has something to do with positive ions during a full moon, while a new moon gives off negative ion. This may not be just legend as some studies have some evidence to support it:**

"the study points out that alkaline vaginal fluid medium and more rise of basal body temperature during Full Moon favour conception of male (corrected) babies."

**Also, another greek myth is that conception during a full moon in the signs of Leo, Gemini, Aries, Libra, Sagitarius and Aquarius will produce a boy. Holly conceived in Gemini. Interestingly, I personally conceived on a full moon in Aquarius and I have a son. :D**

**Another article I found: **

"According to a **2005 study conducted at the Department of Physiology, Guru Nanak Institute of Dental Science and Research, Calcutta, India**, conception within 24 hours of ovulation at Full Moon brings baby boys. Conception during ovulation on a New Moon is said to bring baby girls."

**I also just wanted to say for my Irish readers, the Pagani is an Italian car and they drive on the right in Italy and the car is therefore, left-hand drive. I realize Ireland is the opposite and that your country only recently switched to using kilometres. So even though the speed is measured in miles in the car, I had the speed sign posted in Km. Also, Artemis makes reference to the distance in miles due to both the fact that he grew up using miles for measurement and the car's speed is measured in miles. So I hope you all can understand that. Plus, I think it's less confusing for my vastly American audience. :)**

**So you know what to do! REVIEW! I'm almost there! I just need 37! Next chappy is going to have someone getting married... we'll see who.**


	21. Trouble's DDay

**A/N: Thanks for those who reviewed! It took a little longer than usual but I'm glad to be able to put the next chapter up for the weekend. Kitsune Heart is making wonderful progress on the podfic of this story. I hope you'll all give it a listen once it's complete. Big thanks to her for taking on such a huge project. 3**

**Only 4 more chapters left! Please review everyone! **

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl. **

* * *

Artemis knocked anxiously on his parents' suite door. Holly stood beside him, holding his hand. She smiled at him as she felt him fidget excitedly as he waiting for his parents to respond.

"Arty. Holly? What can I do for you two?" Artemis Senior answered the door wearing a robe and silk pajama pants, clearly ready for bed.

"Can we speak with you and Mum? Regarding the baby?" Artemis asked, a huge smile still decorating his face.

Angeline bolted to the door, barely closing her robe over her negligee before coming into Artemis and Holly's vantage point. "The baby? What about it?" she shouted in anticipation.

"Why don't you two come in?" Artemis Senior invited them both into their suite and led the way to the sitting area near the bay windows. Holly hadn't been in this room since it had been remodeled last year. It wasn't nearly as dreary as she remembered it to be. It still had the same Tunisian rug with the vine pattern in it, but the walls had been treated with a plaster design and were warm earth tones. The furniture was still antique but not the same as she remembered. The canopy bed was replaced for a 4 poster-bed similar to hers and Artemis's. The dark red and green upholsteries had been replaced with creams and browns. Holly and Artemis sat on the love seat and Artemis Senior sat in the Louis XV chair. Angeline went to go sit in the window box but chose to hover instead.

Artemis purposely waited until his mother was practically jumping out of her skin. He smiled in a maliciously amused fashion as she shifted from one foot to the other like her bladder was about to burst. "_WELL?_" she finally bellowed at him when he said nothing to her.

Artemis smiled at Holly. "You go ahead." he invited her to proceed.

"You want me to tell them?" she asked him, a bit surprised.

"Your parents aren't around. I told you that you could have my family, remember? They are your parents now too."

Holly gave him an appreciative smile, before turning to address his parents. "We're having a boy."

"A BOY!" Angeline sang out at full volume then promptly burst into tears.

"Congratulations, son, Holly. That's wonderful news. And how is everything, health-wise?" Artemis Senior asked as his wife flew into a complete fit of hysterics.

"Good so far. Strong heart, proper position. Amniocentesis didn't detect anything unusual." Artemis offered.

"That's great. Wow, the doctor did amniocentesis on her? This early?"

"Yes. It appears to within her people's technology." Artemis answered.

"Hmm." Artemis Senior was thoroughly interested in what the fairies had that they humans didn't but knew neither Holly or Artemis would share that information with him and thus it was futile to even ask. "Well that's just fantastic, you two. Have you thought of any names for the lad?"

Artemis smiled happily. "Holly has decided on a third generation of 'Artemis's for our son."

"Yes. With a middle name. Julius, named after my passed mentor." Holly added.

"How wonderful." he replied, then added, "Three 'Artemis's '. That might get confusing." Artemis Senior laughed. Nevertheless, both Holly and Artemis could tell he was delighted.

"That's so wonderful, dear. You have _no idea_ how excited I am for you two." Angeline crooned.

"The medic told me he'd be sending me the visual from the ultrasound and audio from the Doppler recording. I'll be sure to show you both when I receive it." Artemis told his parents.

"Thank you. That would be lovely." Artemis Senior replied since Angeline remained clearly inarticulate.

"We'll let you get your rest now. Goodnight." Artemis stood to leave. His father shook his hand while Angeline snatched Holly in a tight hug.

Once they had left his parents' suite and returned to their own room, Holly headed straight to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. This gel still feels gross... inside and out."

Artemis nodded in acknowledgment and got ready for bed. He grabbed his PowerBook and sat in bed, checking his investments while he waited for Holly to finish with her shower. Some of his stocks were nose diving and he was going to have to move stuff around. He shot off a few decisive emails to brokers and investors before Holly emerged from the steaming bathroom.

"Phew." she said as she entered the bedroom wrapped in a towel. She went towards her bottom dresser drawer to search out a pair of panties and something comfortable to wear to bed.

"Don't bother." Artemis said flatly, barely acknowledging her presence as he typed away furiously on his laptop.

Holly looked at him skeptically. She wasn't sure if he was actually addressing her. She paused, waiting for him to say something else then continued slowly to her drawer.

"Yes I was talking to you. There's no point in putting anything on when I'm just going to rip it off in… two minutes." he added, still not looking at her as he finished up the E-mail he was composing.

Holly unwrapped herself from the towel and went back into the bathroom to hang it on the hook just inside. When she walked back into the room, Artemis had stopped typing and closed the lid of his laptop. He finally bothered to look at her and smiled. He put the computer down on the night stand as she crawled next to him in bed.

"There. Now I don't have to worry about going bankrupt while I repay the debt I owe to _you._" he announced.

Holly quirked an eyebrow. "Debt?"

"Yes. Reciprocating sexual gratification is simply… proper etiquette."

"Really. Do elaborate." Holly smirked.

Artemis ran his fingers into her damp hair, tucking her now shoulder length locks behind her ear. "As I said, I am in your debt." He kissed her softly against her lips while pressing against her shoulder, suggesting his preference for her to lay down.

As Holly laid down on her back, she broke their kiss and looked up at Artemis above her. His smile was warm but his eyes betrayed his intent. She watched with slight amusement as his pupils fully dilated, making his heterochromatic irises just slits of color around black.

"What if I chose to take my payment another time?" Holly suppressed a wicked smirk.

Artemis almost pouted but composed himself quickly. "That is your prerogative. Is that your intention?" Artemis queried, hoping the answer was 'no.'

"I'm not sure. What would you suggest? You handle the finances around here. When someone offers repayment, is it ever of advantage to refuse it?" Holly knew he would have to answer. She also knew what he'd say.

Artemis frowned. "There _are _times when it is advantageous to refuse repayment. Like when you need an ace in the hole to blackmail your debtor. I do hope that is not your intent."

"Hmm. I see. Well, thanks for clearing that up for me. Goodnight." Holly could barely keep the laughter from escaping as she rolled on to her side and closed her eyes.

Artemis sank back, clearly disappointed. _Denied._

After a few minutes, Artemis hadn't laid down, or even moved. Holly couldn't contain her cruel laughter anymore and burst into a fit of giggles. She rolled on to her back and looked over at him. "Gods, Artemis. I was kidding."

Artemis's perfect eyebrows furrowed together. Clearly he did not appreciate the humor.

Holly smiled apologetically and stretched her arms open towards him. "Come here, silly."

Artemis crawled over, pausing above her. "That was unkind." he said with a frown.

"Sorry, love." she smiled and placed her hand on his cheek, guiding him to her mouth.

Artemis recovered quickly from the cruel trick, hoping she wasn't trying to pull something on him again. He sensed no deception or cunning from her as he had moments earlier. Now all he felt from her was love and affection. He kissed her gently on the lips before peppering soft kisses down her jaw line to her neck. Holly 'mm'ed' appreciatively and spread her legs to invite him between them. Artemis shifted his position to be more directly above her while continuing to kiss her neck and shoulders. Holly bent her legs and shifted her hips to be in line with his. He had apparently chose to forego underwear tonight. She let out a small sigh when she felt his hardness brush against her sex.

Although Artemis wished very much to sink inside of her, he had 'compensation' in mind for right now. His kisses trailed from her neck, down her collar bone and into the dip in her throat. Holly started to moan, quietly, but the vibration was enough for Artemis to feel it in her throat where his lips currently resided. Artemis could smell his vetiver soap on her skin as he placed worshipful kisses down between the valley of her breasts. He always thought it was an oddly personal thing to share one's soap. To have that scent on her due to their shared intimacy, gave him curious feeling of ownership. Not that he'd ever think he _owned_ her as if she were a possession. He always viewed his relationship with her to be more like an unworthy blessing or endowment.

Holly squirmed just slightly beneath him, making her wetness obvious to him. Artemis had unconsciously ground into her once before composing himself. He ignored her, focusing on her breasts, flicking at her nipple with his tongue before slowly drawing it into his mouth entirely, lifting her with slow deep pulls, suckling until her moaning became incessant. His hand wandered slowly to her unoccupied breast and traced gentle circles around her nipple until it too was peaked and hard.

Holly was thoroughly enjoying the foreplay, but she needed more. Now. She wrapped her hands around his back pushed her pelvis up towards him. She was disappointed when he removed the hand from her breast to push her hip back against the bed.

Artemis could sense her confusion and didn't want her to jump to a false conclusion. He had full intentions of satisfying her, but not that way. He decided she was aroused enough to continue if she was motioning her desire for penetration. His mouth left her breast and traveled down towards its' destination: a small triangle of soft brown hair between her legs. He left wet, open-mouthed kisses in its trail.

Holly moaned loudly as she finally realized his intent. Her hips bucked up in anticipation and Artemis had to use more force that he would have liked just to keep her still. Once his mouth arrived at the source of her frustration, he kissed her gently, as if he were simply saying 'hello'. She began to whimper and knotted her fingers into the sheets, waiting impatiently for him to continue. She didn't have to wait long. He lapped his warm tongue up the full length of her slit, eliciting a delicious sounding cry from her.

"Oh! Ah... Artemis! Yes..." Holly cried and cinched her eyes tight at the wonderful sensation.

Artemis considered teasing her in retribution for her cruel joke earlier but decided against it. He was paying off his debt right now. He could tease her another time. His tongue darted and licked between her folds and shallowly probed her entrance. He could taste how strong her arousal was and groaned at the burning desire that was mounting in his own nether regions. Still it was thrilling to know he could bring her such pleasure with the simple use of his mouth.

Holly began to scream at the stimulation but found herself even more frustrated by the lack of penetration. Even though Artemis worked his tongue upon her womanhood with the tremendous skill he afforded every task, she needed something else.

"Artemis... I need you inside me…" she moaned.

Artemis paused, seemingly considering her invitation. It was then Holly realized his intent. He was reciprocating for her earlier ministrations to him in the car, which had _not_ involved mutual gratification.

"Artemis! Now!" she shouted at him. His eyes widened as he realized it had not been an invitation but a command. He figured it was best to oblige. Aside from that, this option was more desirous to him. He crawled up her body, nipping her sides at the waist where he knew she was a bit ticklish. The touch made her tense up in response, and a giggle slipped out.

He loomed over her, and she tangled her hands into his hair once again. As he kissed her, he thrust his tongue inside her mouth to seek out her own. Holly could taste herself on his lips and found it incredibly erotic. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist, ushering him towards her entrance. Artemis groaned at her eagerness and found he couldn't control his desire any longer. Holly had taken hold of his member, directing it towards her pussy with urgency, and he pushed inside her quickly but gently. Holly broke their kiss to gasp as she felt him fill her entirely. This was what she wanted, what she needed.

Artemis reveled in the silky smoothness that surrounded his cock. No matter how many times he made love to Holly, it was never anything short of amazing. No longer did he have to worry about injuring her as he had once long ago. Ever since they had been partnered, she had grown to become a perfect fit for him. She was large enough that he didn't have to wait after penetration for her muscles to relax, and yet she was still tight enough to stroke and massage his length with every thrust.

As they set their rhythm, he busied his mouth at her neck. Holly moaned and cried incoherently as she ground against him with her own hips, matching his pace. When his thumb brushed against her nipple, he could feel the muscles in her thighs beginning to quiver and her entire body tensed. Her walls clamped down on his rod as her climax approached. Artemis plowed fervently into her, urging her orgasm's arrival. When it hit, she screamed his name and arched against the bed, pressing her breasts firmly against his sweating chest.

Artemis's eyes shut tightly as he came in tandem with her. He emptied what remained in his body into hers. Their pace slowed, but a few small spurts were milked from him by her still spasming walls.

Artemis stilled above her, barely managing to hold his own weight as he heaved and panted for air. Holly, although having left the physical exertion to Artemis, still lay beneath him gasping and breathless from her intense orgasm.

Once he had regained enough breath to speak, Artemis lifted himself just enough to look at Holly's face. The love his eyes portrayed to her was so warm that she could feel her heart swell. She smiled gently at him and placed her hand to his cheek. He returned her smile before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Artemis slid from their coupling and lay down beside her, completely exhausted. Still he found enough energy to comb his fingers through her hair as he spoke to her.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, you know."

"I know. But it _was_ what _I_ had in mind. And I didn't hear you complaining." she said with a smirk.

"No. No complaints." he huffed out before rolling on to his back.

"Artemis." she said as she propped herself up on her elbow, "I love you." then placed a light kiss on his forehead.

"I love you too. And you have no idea how much. You mean everything, to me."

Holly smiled at him before settling in beside him and snuggling tightly against him. She traced light circular patterns on his chest until she could hear his breathing become slow and steady. She peaked up at his face and sure enough, he was asleep. She kissed him softly before pulling the blankets up over them and falling asleep herself. A drifting thought passed through her mind as she dozed off... _my husband..._

* * *

Time sped by quickly and before Trouble knew it, the day was instantly upon him. He grimaced at the image in the mirror. Himself in full formal uniform, preparing to face all his friends, family and co-workers to profess his undying 'love' for Lili and promise his commitment to her. The knot in his stomach began to grow horribly large and Trouble prayed for liquor. Only booze could make this day tolerable.

Trouble chugged dutifully through his vows and actually smiled when Lili said hers. She was very pretty. He really should be happy. Even if it wasn't what he hoped for. _That_ hope was now living on the surface with… _him_.

The ceremony finished without issue and everyone sat at the dining tables for the reception. Since it wasn't everyday a Commander marries a former Captain who also happens to be the daughter of the most respected and feared General, the formal hall attached to LEP headquarters was reserved. Both Trouble, and more surprisingly his best man Grub, looked very handsome in their formal LEP uniforms. Lili wore the enormous white gown she had purchased with her father's money. Mulch was purposefully uninvited, and therefore present. He couldn't be dissuaded to crash a party with no small amount of free food.

No.1 and Qwan were invited and decided to attend since Foaly practically begged them not to leave him alone. They spent most of the evening socializing with both him and Caballine. No.1 watched nervously as both Foaly and Qwan drank copious amounts of liquor, causing them to find lewd jokes suddenly appropriate to make with slurred speech. Qwan periodically would break from the crude jesting to whine about his personal grief. After spending 10,000 years alone, he still had no mate despite his celebrity status and fantastic genes. The truth, as No.1 was quickly discovering, was that demonesses did not view warlocks as the most attractive males. Perhaps it was because they resembled imps or even looked slightly similar to a female. Qweffor, on the other hand, had already taken three wives. Of course, having taken over the body of former demon tribe leader Abbott, he was quite the catch. This meant he couldn't pass on the warlock gene but any potential offspring he may have had the chance of obtaining a small measure of magical ability.

Demon society had changed dramatically since the return from Limbo. Many started to live in social structures that other fairy races preferred. Hence why Qweffor's wives resided with him and not in the female compound. Still, there were those who chose to stick to the more traditional ways and thus male, female and imp compounds still existed.

As Qwan moaned about his lack of mate(s), Foaly complained in stereo about Caballine's constant nagging for a child. With all the sudden pregnancies lately, Caballine had baby fever. Foaly wasn't too keen on the idea of becoming a father so soon after patching up his rocky marriage. On top of that, he'd just recently stopped working for Recon/Retrieval and didn't feel that their income would be adequate to support an extra mouth to feed. Regardless, Foaly realized he'd cave eventually simply to appease his wife. He still hoped to at least stall the inevitable.

Since the entire wedding took place at LEP headquarters, just about all the officers were able to attend in shifts. This of course meant feeding hundreds and General Frond wasn't too pleased about that. But he reasoned it made his famous little 'Lili Flower' happy and gave her a measure of respectability, after being disgraced by Trouble himself.

Various meat and vegetarian meals were served to the guests. While Qwan was drowning himself in alcohol, No.1 began to bury his own sorrows in food. He was beginning to think any potential offspring he may have in life would only be brought into existence through artificial means. Someone was going to have to continue the demon warlock species and neither Qwan or No.1 were looking like they were going to be successful in the natural method. No.1 couldn't help considering companionship outside of his species. It worked out well for Holly afterall...

Trouble danced awkwardly with Lili for the first dance. Trouble hated dancing. He never felt that flitting around the dance floor, even with a female in hand, was a very manly thing to do. He had danced before, at the academy's ball, with Holly. Even then he thought it was ridiculous but did it anyway since he was hoping to get in her pants. Lili smiled stiffly throughout the entire ordeal, she was not expecting Trouble to be such a terrible dancer. She scolded herself internally for not suspecting this. Slowly, Lili was beginning to realize that she had idealized the Commander slightly. Sure he was young, good looking and had a high position of authority. Yet he was nothing for romance and he certainly wasn't anything to gossip about in the bedroom. But her plan was too far in to make changes now. She had three baby girls on the way with this elf and there was no way she was about to rear them up on her own. She was stuck with him now, whether either of them liked it or not.

The mandatory dances ended with Trouble dancing with his Mommy who openly ridiculed his poor skills, loudly and on the dance floor. Aside from that though, she seemed happy he was getting married. Although she had made it very clear to anyone who knew about the babies that she did not approve of their indiscretion.

Trouble sat down for the meal, which for him, included three different types of meat. Lili ate sim-chicken with steamed vegetables. Eating healthy had never been more important than now. Still, she had trained herself to eat well to keep her fabulous figure. She was beginning to worry what her shape would look like after carrying three children at once. She was already searching out a recommended plastic surgeon.

Trouble drank, as usual. Even more than usual. Once completely plastered, he began shouting at his brother about stupid things, yelling at Foaly periodically about how he should have just wiped "_those traitors when we had the chance_" and lecturing Qwan between hiccups regarding his desire for a mate.

"Ya know, _hic_ a mate ain't allzit crack'd up ta be, ya know?" Trouble slurred to him.

"Ya say that NOW, Trubs, when ya gotz one." Qwan mumbled.

"No no. Truzzme. _hic_ Chikz are WAY too much werk. Ya slave away at werk to put a roof o'er yer heads _hic_ an' she sitz at home gettin' all FAT. _hic_ Then when you getz home, she'z suddenly got a headache and won't put out, I mean, _hic_ fut the wuck?" Trouble continued with a small chuckle. Qwan huffed out a bitter laugh in reply. No.1 frowned disapprovingly.

Mulch made himself scarce. As the only dwarf there, he stuck out like a sore thumb and didn't want to get caught crashing. Or at least, called out on it. He stopped by to visit with No.1 who appeared rather miserable for such a joyous occasion.

"What's up, No.1? Why the long face? I thought that was Foaly's signature look." Mulch asked him.

"Just feeling left out, I suppose. Artemis has Holly, and now even Kelp has someone. No one wants a demon warlock. My mother has tried to set me up now four times and never have the females even agreed to bother to stay for anything past a meal with me. It's very discouraging." No.1 admitted.

"Yeah, that sucks ass. But hey. Look at me. I don't need no woman. I got myself a life without any need for someone else to complete it for me. Sure I get lonely from time to time but women are way more work than they're worth. This is Trouble's stinkin' wedding. Does he look thrilled about the idea of being tied to this sole female for the rest of his many centuries left of life? Not to mention _children_..." he said with great disdain.

"I love kids." No.1 stated.

Mulch gave him a disgusted look. "You're still a kid yourself."

"I'm the same age as Artemis and he's having a child." No.1 said defensively.

"_WHAT?_" Apparently Mulch hadn't been clued in. No.1 immediately grimaced knowing he had 'blabbed' once again.

"What do you mean 'Artemis is having a child'? _With Holly?"_

"Uhm, yeah." No.1 admitted quietly. _Who else could it be..._he thought.

"NO SHIT!" Mulch suddenly forgot his presence here was supposed to be discreet. A dozen conversations halted, and heads turned towards them.

"Shhh!" No.1 hissed.

"Oh. Sorry." Mulch said in hushed tones. "When did this happen?"

"Not long after she moved in with him I guess, after the partnering. Last I heard, a medical warlock had gone up to see them. I still have to call him and see how everything is."

"Well, I'll be. Lil' Arty's gonna be a daddy." Mulch let out a huge guffaw. "Serves him right. That's what you get when you stick your dick where it don't belong." he choked out.

"What on earth do you mean? Children are a gift from the gods!" No.1 disagreed with him.

"If you say so." Mulch shrugged as he left No.1 to return to the buffet table to stuff his face yet again.

Some disagreement between Trouble and his brother became heated and fists began to fly. No.1 caught something yelled by Grub about Trouble not deserving Lili, and how there was no way in hell that Trouble's 'slow swimmers' could have put three babies in her, and that she must have found a 'more suitable father'. Grub ranted on as Trouble wailed on him relentlessly. Grub fought back with all the strength he could muster, and he had the advantage of being moderately sober. Once they had both gotten to the point of battered and bloodied, both of them suddenly heard Lili screaming at them for ruining her wedding. They both shuffled off fearfully to the men's room to clean themselves up, wisely shelving the matter until another time.

"Well that was interesting." Foaly said as he watched the drama unfold. He began to rub his temples. Centaurs metabolized alcohol more quickly, and thus his hangover was already kicking in. "No.1, are you going to Artemis and Holly's wedding in person? Can you make sure nothing like that happens to poor Holly?"

"I can't imagine anything would, but yes. I will do my utmost assure it a happy occasion for all." No.1 promised.

"Good. By the way, bring them the video of this catastrophe, and tell me what they say. I'm dying to know."

* * *

Artemis couldn't believe it was already only a week away from his own wedding. No.1 would be coming to stay with them for a week. He'd received clearance from Section 8 for his first real vacation since returning to normal time. Artemis was looking forward to seeing his friend again and hoped that his company would keep his mind away from the anxiety of the wedding. He was beginning to see why so many felt weddings were stressful, even though Artemis had everything completely planned down to the last minor detail. And though there were certainly no doubts about marrying Holly, he still found that he was slightly nervous. He assumed it was due to the unknown factors that he couldn't plan for. For example, the weather. The wedding was scheduled to take place outside in the garden. But if it rained, which it very likely would in the autumn in Ireland, the music hall was set up for the ceremony. Still, he had explained to his relatives that they much preferred to have an outdoor wedding. It was easier to explain than why they weren't in a church.

Holly had become especially moody lately. One minute she'd be crying, the next laughing like an idiot. Artemis was figuratively walking on eggshells around her constantly as she would misinterpret almost everything he said, translating it into something harsh. It was difficult for her to be in a good mood when she physically felt awful. She was sore very often and Artemis tried to do whatever he could to comfort her. He decided to send both Holly and his mother off to the spa for the weekend. This would also afford him some time to actually work. His stocks in the American communication company he'd invested in were dropping exponentially, along with the other stocks he traded months ago and his portfolio wasn't currently as strong as he'd like it to be.

Holly was loving her time at the spa. Angeline made for great company. Of course Angeline was extremely excited about the upcoming wedding. It was going to be quite the affair. She babbled endlessly about it during their Swedish massages they'd received from Hans and Sven, two young brawny men who Angeline not-so-subtly flirted with beforehand. Angeline asked Holly about small details regarding the wedding and Holly replied that she simply didn't know the answer. Artemis was doing everything. Much of her own wedding was going to be a surprise to even her. The only thing that Artemis was going to have to surprise him, was the sight of her in her dress.

Her last two physicals with the medical warlock confirmed the baby was doing well and that Holly herself had indeed stopped growing. Finally Holly had acquired a gown and all the alterations were now complete. She was very thankful that she wasn't showing very much yet since the dress was rather form fitting around her mid-section. Artemis, being a stickler for tradition, had yet to see it. He had sent his mother and Juliet to assist her in shopping for the dress and trying it on. So now the dress hung in the guess room closet. Artemis had even suggested that they remain abstinent for a period of time before the wedding and go as far as sleep in separate rooms until after they were married. Holly looked at him as if he had two heads and scoffed. Artemis took that to mean 'no'.

By evening that day, Holly's muscles were completely relaxed and she reveled in the catered food provided. Now that she was more than four months pregnant, the nausea had calmed down and she had much more of an appetite. However, she found she wasn't entirely enjoying herself to the full. She missed Artemis. To make matters worse, she wouldn't see him for another 24 hours. He had told her that she could call him whenever, but she wanted a bit of privacy to do so. Angeline finally left Holly to rest in the room while she went for hot stone therapy. Alone, and lonely, Holly decided to call him.

Artemis felt his phone buzz against his hip and looked at the caller ID. It was listed as the spa's name which Holly was staying at this weekend. He still wasn't sure if it was Holly or his mother calling, or even possibly the hotel staff. "Artemis Fowl speaking." he answered.

"Arty, it's me. How are you?" Holly asked.

Artemis smiled, and his softened tone reflected it. "Holly. I'm well. How is your mini-vacation going thus far?"

"Fine. I mean, it's good. You're mom's a blast. The food here is awesome and some hot Swede massaged out all my kinks."

Artemis groaned disapprovingly. "Why couldn't you have requested a female masseuse?"

"Your mom was the one who suggested him... said he had 'magic hands' and a tasty sight for the eyes.." Holly giggled.

"GROSS. I don't want to know anything about my mother's preference in men. Change the subject please." Artemis complained while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Holly laughed harder. "Did you have dinner already?" she asked at random.

"No. I lost track of time. I hope you've eaten."

"What kind of ridiculous question is that? 'Have I eaten?' Pfft," she mocked.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Where are you right now?" she asked.

"In my study. I _was_ trying to save some of my money from disappearing down the proverbial toilet but it seems AT&T still managed drag some of it with them."

"Aww, that's a shame. No new watch this week then, huh?" Holly offered her complete insincere empathy.

"No, 'no new watch'." he humored her. "Are you calling from your room?"

"Yeah."

"Where is my mother?"

"Off in a private room having Sven massage _other_ areas of her body." Holly jested.

"What?" Artemis shouted. He was definitely going to go into full shock if Holly was about to inform him his mother was having a 'fling'.

Holly laughed hysterically. "I'm kidding, Arty. Take a chill pill. She's getting some kinda rock massage. I can't imagine how _that_ feels good. What do they do? Chuck them at you where you're not sore so that the pain in your muscles seems more bearable?"

Now Artemis laughed. "God, Holly. Such an imagination. It's nothing at all like that. The stones are flat river stones that are heated and then placed strategically along the muscles- " he started before she cut him off.

"Duly noted, moving along." she said flatly.

"Very well. What would _you_ like to talk about?" he offered.

"I don't know... I miss you. It's weird. I can't... feel you. Y'know? Like sense your presence or anything. It's unnerving. Like you're gone. I don't like it." Holly complained.

Artemis knew exactly what she was talking about. He'd sensed the loss as well. It seemed their connection only worked in close quarters to one another. Since the partnering, they'd been able to sense each others emotions perfectly but only while in the other's presence. Now, over 200 km away, there was no way he could sense her and vise versa. Not having her around had rendered him with an odd feeling of loss. It was if an entire part of his being had simply ceased to exist, a part he'd begun to take for granted.

"I miss you too. You'll be home tomorrow then?" He asked, trying to soothe her.

"Yeah. I'd come home now if your mom wasn't having such a good time. Why didn't you come with us?"

"Two reasons: One, I really needed to get some work done and finish up the final plans on the wedding. I figured you'd be more entertained doing something outside of the home since I would be preoccupied. And Two, it is apparently healthy for couples to have some time apart." Artemis admitted but was finding he doubted this theory.

"Yeah, maybe for _normal_ couples. Couples who aren't partnered. Arty, come get me. Or come and stay here tonight and leave with me and your mom tomorrow." she whined.

Artemis was very tempted. The spa wasn't that far away. He could drive there in under two hours... maybe less. Depending on how badly he intended to speed. He battled with the idea. They really should be separate sometimes, shouldn't they? His parents were from time to time, though neither of them ever seemed to enjoy it when they were, especially for long periods of time. In fact, separation had actually driven his mother mad. He figured the theory must be bunk and there was no point in continuing either his or Holly's torment to simply prove it false.

"So which is it? Do you want me to bring you home or come stay the night with you?"

Holly smiled brightly. "Come get me. I want to come home."

"All right. I'll be there as soon as I can. See you soon, love." Artemis hung up with her and checked the security feature on his computer. Butler had retired to his room for the evening and Juliet was in the gym. The boys were in bed but his father was still on the main level in the conference room. He'd have to get passed him without him noticing. Artemis thought it was ridiculous that as an adult, he had to sneak out of his house. It certainly wasn't because he wasn't allowed to leave, he just wasn't allowed to leave _on his own._ He didn't feel like having Butler around when he was with Holly. He'd have to censor his choice of words and... _actions._ It was far more convenient to be alone with her.

Artemis quickly made his way down the stairs, out the door and into the garage. He found the keys to his black BMW ActiveHybrid 750Li, unlocked the car, sat behind the wheel then pulled out his phone. He left a text message for Butler on his cell. _'Don't follow me. I'm sorry, I'll be back shortly.' _Then he deactivated GPS tracking and shut off his phone. Before he could even start the engine, he looked up to see Juliet standing at the far end of the garage, in the middle of the entrance, blocking his way out. She wasn't going to let him go anywhere without protection. Artemis's shoulders sank in defeat as he acknowledged he had been bested, then spontaneously, an idea sprang to mind. He started the car, revved it loudly to try to intimidate her. He knew she was no 'chicken'. Still, it would be amusing to see her reaction. He let it leap forward, towards to entrance. Artemis knew his car very well and knew he wasn't putting her in danger in any way. Still, anyone watching his stunt might have a heart attack.

Juliet stood her ground 40 metres away at the front of the huge garage. Her hands on her hips, giving him a daring glare. Her eyebrows shot up as she realized his intent to possibly run her over but knew he didn't have it in him to actually do anything that would injure her. Besides, if he misjudged his brakes, she'd just jump on the hood and roll over him before he hit her. She'd done it before. Not with Artemis of course, Madame Ko had a list of bizarre situations encompassed in her training.

The roar of the 440-hp V-8 TwinPower Turbo engine was deafening in the confines of the garage. Artemis sped towards her with an evil grin plastered to his face. Juliet stood stone still. When the car's transmission slipped into 4th, he floored the brakes, coming to a squealing stop exactly two inches from her knees. Juliet never even flinched and returned his dark smile with one of her own. Through the windshield Artemis mouthed very clearly: _"Get in, or get out of my way."_ Juliet cocked an eyebrow at him but her smile never faded. She wrenched open the passenger door and joined him in the car.

"Who are you and what have you done with Artemis?" she joked. Stunts like that were not his norm. Ever since Holly had moved in almost six months ago, he'd changed a lot. For the better, in her opinion.

Artemis managed a small smile before peeling down the avenue and onto the main road.

"Where we going?" she asked, obviously excited.

"Picking up Holly. You can take her place at the spa with my mother if you'd like." Artemis explained.

"Really? Awesome. I guess I should thank Holly. Why did she want to come home?"

Artemis smiled smugly. "She simply cannot bear to be without me."

Juliet snorted. "Yeah right. You probably begged her to come home cuz your hand wasn't doing the job well enough."

Artemis looked insulted. "I'm being serious! She asked to come home because she missed me!" he defended, then smiled, "and she hasn't even been gone more than 12 hours. Do you honestly think I need to be physical with her so often?"

Juliet laughed. "I guess not, but then again, you are still a teenager. Well anyways, it looks like you've got company there and back since a day at the spa sounds nice after hitting the gym for 3 hours straight."

"Juliet, I admire your drive and sometimes do covet your ambition for self-induced torture but I simply think my intellect won't allow me to abuse my body in such a manner."

"It's just tough in the beginning Artemis. Then you get used to it and even start to crave it... _especially_ when you have no _other_ physical outlet_..._" she added miserably.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I, however, _do_ have another physical _outlet_... and it's far more enjoyable than lifting weights." he chuckled darkly at her choice of words.

Juliet grumbled. "God, I gotta get laid." she muttered.

"Yes. You do. Your brother too." Artemis agreed.

Juliet looked at him incredulously. "What? You did not just seriously say that."

Artemis gave her an entirely serious look. "I did. You two both are far too tightly wound. Maybe if you were busy with your own affairs, you'd stay out of mine more often."

"Ah, I see. It's not out of genuine concern for our mental or physical well-being that you wish this, but purely for your own benefit." Juliet accused.

"Mostly. But not entirely. I'm much happier with Holly in my life. Of course I would wish the same for those I care about."

"Aww. Thanks, Arty." she teased. "Maybe I'll attack one of your cousin's at your wedding."

_Great... now she's using my pet name. Fantastic._ "Just allow me to give them fair warning before you do."

* * *

Holly grabbed her things after she hung up with Artemis. Angeline came back shortly after and Holly explained how she would be leaving tonight instead of tomorrow, but insisted that Angeline stay and enjoy her time. Angeline acquiesced, retiring for the night.

Holly decided to relax and watch some TV while she waited for Artemis. She barely ever watched TV anymore even though the manor received around 400 channels. The Fowls just weren't much for television. Holly missed just sitting in front of the TV and vegging. Not to mention she hadn't seen a movie in almost a year. Holly would always readily admit, even when she still had a strong hatred for humans, that Mud Men made way better movies than The People did. Fairies were a bit stingy when it came to entertainment. Not that many wanted to spend money on going to a movie and thus, production studios didn't want to invest the large amounts of money needed to make a good movie. Humans had no qualms about blowing hundreds of millions on dollars since they knew they'd most likely still reap a return on their investment.

Angeline had already gone to sleep in the bedroom portion of the hotel room. Holly sat on the sofa in the main living space, flipping through the many channels, looking for something interesting to watch. She figured out how to pull up the Pay-Per-View guide and scanned for movies. She knew Artemis would be more than an hour, maybe even two, and figured she probably had time to catch the majority of a flick. She found one entitled "Mothers Do It Too" and reasoned it was a good choice. She didn't know much about human babies and the experience human mothers go through with child bearing and rearing. She figured the film could be educational to her since her child was almost half human.

She clicked to select the movie and immediately a busty brunette appeared in a set that was supposed to be kitchen she assumed. She wondered why on earth this woman would be doing dishes in her underwear, a lace-trimmed apron and heels. She also doubted this woman ever had a child in her life. Not unless she had plastic surgery, which judging by her enormous boobs, she probably did. In the movie, the doorbell rang and the 'mother' went to open the door to let in a buff 30-something man who was apparently there to repair the dishwasher. The shirt of his maintenance uniform was barely buttoned and the sleeves were ripped off at the shoulders. Holly wondered if his company knew he dressed so slovenly to a house call.

Holly watched puzzled as the repair man rehearsed cheesy come-ons to the 'mother' character. The acting was horrible and she could only assume it was a low-budget film. Strange background music seeped in, electric bass and synthesizers. Almost immediately when the music started, the realization clicked in Holly's head. It was a second too late however as the repair man pulled out his enormous cock, amazingly _already _sheathed in latex, and started to plow into the woman over the kitchen table. Holly gasped but couldn't fight her curiosity, and ended up watching the pornographic film. She had heard they were terribly cheesy... and so far, that was correct. Still, she had to admit she found it a bit erotic. Holly found she was unable to tear herself from the screen as the graphic images and the salacious screams coming from the female actress heightened her arousal…

Artemis was making fantastic time as he flew down the motor way. The road was deserted and he had a device that would be able to detect any speed traps or cameras for miles ahead. It also helped that Artemis's license plates had a special covers, they would appear blurry in any camera that may happen to capture its' image. Juliet didn't seem the least bit disturbed to having him drive at 150 kilometers an hour. He'd shave a good 40 minutes off his commute at this speed.

Juliet forced him to endure some horrible American Rock music for a good half hour, during which his speedometer crept over 160 at one point. She made some idle chit chat with him about his wedding, which she was in. Once Artemis had explained to Holly the roles of a bridal party, Holly realized she only had one human girlfriend and Juliet was it. So now Juliet had a dark burgundy bridesmaid dress to wear as she stood at Holly's side as her Maid of Honor.

Arriving exactly 68 minutes after departure, Artemis pulled into the spa's valet, expecting he'd have to retrieve Holly inside. Suddenly and without warning, he felt an overpowering wave of arousal overcome him. Artemis swallowed thickly as he tried to comprehend the bizarre reaction he was having to apparently nothing. Juliet looked at him, confused as to why he suddenly looked so uncomfortable.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Fine. Find Holly and tell her I'm here." Artemis said as he wiped the sheen of sweat that was forming on his brow. He didn't think it would be wise for him to stand just yet.

"All right... if you're sure you're okay." Juliet exited the car and made her way into the lobby. She found Holly already waiting with her bag, dancing impatiently. Juliet smiled at her and Holly returned her smile stiffly.

"Artemis is outside waiting for you. He drove the Bimmer today."

Holly was shocked to hear Artemis drove himself. She was expecting to see the Bentley outside with Butler driving. Holly smiled. This made things more convenient. Now she wouldn't have to force him to check into a room just for some privacy. "Thanks Juliet. You're staying here, right?" Holly assumed, and hoped.

"Hells yes. You take your man over facials and massages... not me. Did you get to see Sven?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Yes. I guess you've been here before?" Holly answered, slightly irritated.

"Oh yeah. Don't worry about leaving Mrs. Fowl, Holly. I've kept her company plenty of times at spas. It's one of the perks of the job." Juliet smiled at Holly.

Holly nodded and told her she'd see her sometime tomorrow and left the building to find Artemis.

Artemis was happy to find he had regained enough composure after that startlingly odd episode. He put the car in park and waiting just outside the hotel lobby. He got out and waited by the passenger door for Holly. She quickly emerged from the building and Artemis smiled brightly at her. Holly sighed in relief as she ran to him. She dropped her bag just before reaching him and threw her around him in a tight hug. "Thank the gods." she whispered in relief as she crushed herself against his chest.

Artemis laughed lightly as he hugged her back. "Miss me?"

"You know I did. Now, let me drive." she snatched the keys from his hand and ran around to the driver's door.

Artemis looked at her puzzled. "Okay." he surrendered. He took her bag and put it in the back seat since she'd already confiscated his keys he couldn't open the trunk. He got in the passenger seat and examined her. His link to her had reestablished itself before he even saw her and he could sense she was feeling frustrated or impatient. And oddly, _aroused_. Suddenly realization struck as to what had caused his spontaneous erection earlier. _Holly was horny._ He chuckled darkly as he looked at her wild eyes and she drove around to the back of the building.

"We could just book a room." Artemis offered, clueing her in that he understood what she was feeling.

"Waste of money and the walls are too thin. This vehicle is more than sound proof enough." she answered curtly as she found an unlit spot to park. "Pants off." she ordered.

"Are you serious?" he asked, smiling. He didn't actually expect an answer as he was already reaching for his belt buckle as he asked the question.

"You know I am." Holly stripped off her shirt and lifted her ass to pull off her capris with her panties. She kicked them off her legs and left all her clothes piled in the foot well by the pedals. Artemis followed suit and with his pants and boxers and was about to start working on his shirt and tie when Holly crawled over the center console and straddled his lap. She reached down the side of the seat to find the recline lever and her and Artemis almost instantly found themselves practically in the back seat.

"Why the hurry? Something got you hot and bothered?" he smirked at her.

Holly said nothing. She wrenched his tie off single-handedly in under 4 seconds. A skill she was proud to have learned. She made her way purposefully through the bottom four buttons before her trembling fingers began to give her too much difficulty by the fifth. Becoming overwhelmed with frustration, she grabbed each side of his shirt around the collar and tore it open, popping the remaining buttons free from the fabric. Artemis's eyes widened in surprise at his violent lover's actions. He wasn't sure if he should be aroused for frightened. His body decided on _aroused._

As she hovered over him, the only thing remaining on her body aside from her necklaces and ring, was her white lace bra. Artemis reached around her back to find the clasp and with a quick pinch, it came undone and fell quickly from her body and onto his. He gaped at her impressively huge tits hanging down directly at eye level to him.

"God, Holly. Your breasts are _enormous_. When did they grow so large?" he said as he groped them both, amazed to find he actually couldn't fit them entirely in his hands. He knew it was the pregnancy hormones but still... _Damn._

Holly pressed her chest into his hands and ground her hips into him. Her freshly manicured nails felt sharp against his skin as she raked her fingered down his chest, leaving deep red lines in their path. She ran her tongue up the side of this neck, sucking and _biting_ him periodically. She tugged at his hair harshly to angle his face away from her mouth, giving her access to his ear. Artemis winced at her roughness. She did enjoy being _taken_ roughly, but she generally wasn't one to be so rough _with him._ Artemis was glad he had a thick head of hair because he was certain she was pulling some out. He was about to complain and ask her to be more gentle when her mouth came in contact with the tip of his ear. As her teeth grazed against his ear he felt an electric shock shoot through his body, one unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

"FUCK!" he swore loudly as he heaved beneath her. He couldn't believe how sensitive his ears had become. After partnering with Holly, he'd noticed certain times when he'd get an odd tingling sensation in his ears when he sensed Holly was angry with him or about to have another crying fit. It seemed they were now also an erogenous zone for him as well.

Holly smiled, knowing her suspicions were correct. Artemis had also changed physically from their partnering. He _did_ wake up at a decent hour every morning now. The evidence of his transformation wasn't as visible as Holly's was, but it was there nonetheless. She sucked at the tip of his ear and he growled and grabbed at her hips roughly, trying to angle her in such a way to give him access to her wet heat.

She shifted to deny him entrance. He wasn't going to get control. She relinquished his ear to sit back and look at him. His expression was completely feral and even in the dim light she saw his eyes burned with desire. She smiled coyly, knowing he was now as equally frustrated as she was. She took his stiff cock in her hand and angled it at her entrance. Swiftly, she sheathed him completely inside her, crying out in pleasure as she did. Artemis breathed sharply at the solace and thrill of being within her.

Holly began to thrust herself over him, bouncing against his lap, her tits jumping with each movement.

Artemis's hand snaked up her back and into her hair. With a rough tug, he pulled her back into an enticing arch. His other hand grabbed her large breast and Holly started to curse. If she wanted rough, he'd give her rough.

"Oh gods, Artemis. Fuck me!" she moaned.

Artemis increased his speed and force into her. He released her hair to take hold of both her hips and lifted her in an opposing rhythm to his thrusts. Holly screamed and wailed at such great volume that she might have been audible outside of the vehicle if anyone was around. Artemis frankly didn't give a shit and pounded her harder just the same.

"Holly." he rasped. "Tell me… tell me what you need!"

"_Fuck_, gods, yes! I need your cock! Nothing feels better!" she cried.

His hands left her hips and one went to her hair, tugging it roughly. Her own hand darted down to her clit to flick it while he continuously hammered into her. The sound of her ass slapping his lap filled the car.

Her walls cinched tightly, enough to almost push him from her body. He knew she was close and began to shout commands at her.

"Now, Holly! Come on me, NOW! Do it!" he shouted at her.

Holly quivered at his demands. Artemis almost never raised his voice. When he did, she couldn't help but obey. She tensed entirely around him and shuddered as her climax struck.

"Ah! Fuck! Artemis... I'm... I'm... Ahhhh!" she shouted as her juices gushed out over him.

As her pussy walls squeezed and spasmed against his member, he released his own climax, shooting his cum deep into her body. He slowed his movements within her before coming to a complete stop. Stars danced behind his eyelids as he came down from his euphoric high, induced by what was quite possibly the _rawest_ sex they had ever had.

Holly gulped down air greedily for several moments before lifting herself free from their coupling. She felt the fluids release from within her and spill out on to him. Artemis felt it too and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Can you reach the tissues in the back seat?" he asked her.

Holly smiled sheepishly. "Yeah." She reached behind the driver's seat and found the box he was referring to. She pulled a few out and wiped out their mess then tossed the soiled tissue into the back foot well. "We'll throw them out later."

Artemis studied her carefully. She seemed to have returned to her normal self. "What, may I ask, provoked _that_?"

Holly blushed. "Ummm, well…. Nothing major. I mean, I... um. I must have just been really glad to see you." she stuttered.

"You're lying. You know, even if I wasn't your partner and couldn't sense the deception from you, you would be fooling no one. You're a terrible liar."

"Really? I think I'm pretty convincing. But I guess I'm nothing compared to an expert." Holly retorted.

"Touché, Holly. Nonetheless, you're lying to me. Why?" he replied flatly.

Holly pouted and looked away from him. "I, uh, saw a movie today." she admitted.

"A movie?"

Holly nodded.

"What movie did you see?" he asked.

Holly gave him a look of dread and embarrassment. "Um. an _adult_ movie…?" she whispered.

Artemis's eyes widened. "What? You watched a pornographic film?"

Holly grimaced. "It was an accident! I didn't know what it was about until it was too late! Then... I was just curious..."

Artemis laughed. "Oh Holly. I do not care that you watched an adult film. Next time you're _curious _about that sort of thing, just be sure to include me. It's not fun when you're alone and frustrated." He spoke from experience.

Holly smirked. "Yeah, right. Like _you'd_ watch something like that with me."

Artemis gave her a wicked grin.

"Would you? Wait... _have _you watched that sort of thing before?"

Artemis dark smile turned into a vampire grin and he said nothing in acknowledgment. Instead, he diverted her attention. "Will you be driving home, or shall I? Either way, I'd like to get dressed and cannot do so with you sitting on me, love."

"Artemis!" she whined.

"Yes darling?" he replied with mock innocence.

"Have. You. Watched. Porn." she demanded.

Artemis grinned guiltily. "I've watched many things, Holly. Of which, certain cinema has also piqued my curiosity before. Though, I assure you, only cinema of the highest quality."

Holly gaped. "Well. There's something I never would have guessed."

Artemis squeezed her naked little bum. "Get up, please. I would like to get dressed now." he said softly.

Holly crawled over the center console, back into the driver's seat. She fished her clothes out from the floor and redressed herself while Artemis did the same.

Artemis started on the buttons to his shirt then reached the first missing one. "You destroyed my shirt." he said.

Holly looked at him. Black suit, white shirt only half done up, messed up hair. "You look hot, Arty. Maybe I'll destroy all your shirts." she smiled mischievously.

He smiled back wryly. "I do not. I look like someone who just got attacked in a car by a wild cat." he laughed.

Holly smirked. "You wanna drive?" she asked.

"Not particularly. But I will if you want me to."

"No, I'll drive. I like driving." Holly offered.

"Then by all means."

Holly tore onto the motorway, hearing the transmission clicking through the gears as she did. "I don't like automatics. It's like you're not even driving." she complained.

"It is a luxury sedan Holly. Of course it is going to be an automatic."

"Well, at least she can haul." she said as she floored it. "What's under the hood?"

"A finely tuned 440 horsepower TwinTurbo V-8." Artemis replied.

"440? Wait, this can't be just a 5-speed." she noticed. "You said you didn't have a 6 speed."

"I don't." he smiled his vampire smile. "This is an 8 speed."

"So facetious..." she mumbled. Artemis drove her crazy sometimes. Still, it was who he was. And who he was, was who she loved.

* * *

The next morning Holly found herself exhausted and Artemis insisted she stay in bed. He joined his father and brothers for breakfast.

"Just us men this morning?" Artemis Senior commented.

"Yes. Holly is not feeling very well this morning." Artemis replied as Butler placed his breakfast in front of him.

"That's too bad. Your mother was very sick with you. She did better with the twins though. She was so funny during the beginning of her second trimester... eating the oddest combinations of food." his father said wistfully.

Artemis gave him a sad smile. He had missed the twins' pregnancy and entire infancy. When Artemis returned, he suddenly had 2 year old brothers that hadn't even been conceived yet when he left. He felt awful that he missed out on that. Especially since he was old enough to appreciate the miracles of pregnancy and babies. At least Myles was already out of diapers by the time he came home so he was never asked to change a diaper. Not that he would have. They had a baby nurse for that.

Suddenly, Artemis's phone vibrated on his belt clip. He looked down to see no ID on the display. "Artemis Fowl speaking." he answered.

"Hi Artemis. It's No.1. I'm calling from a communicator! How cool is that? Foaly rigged it to your phone line for me!"

Artemis smiled. "Very… _cool_." he said in a reluctant tone. "It's good to hear from you. How are you?"

"Good, thanks. Hey, I'm going to be there in like two minutes. Thought I'd give you a little warning. Holly told me to just show up but I didn't think you'd be too keen on that. So I wasn't sure which shuttle I was going to be able to catch but anyway, I got up here quicker than I thought."

Artemis took a sharp breath before standing to leave the table. Butler immediately gave him a look of concern. It was obvious to him that Artemis had been told something he wasn't happy about, now that he was leaving the table for privacy.

Once in the formal dining hall, a very unused room, Artemis continued his phone conversation. "No.1. I wasn't expecting you for another day. I am not yet prepared. My family isn't leaving until tonight." Artemis's mother was on her way home from the spa with Juliet and tonight his parents were taking the twins to Artemis's Senior's sister's house in Kilkenny for the weekend.

"It's okay, I put a spell on. No one will suspect a thing. Hey, I'm here now. Open the front door."

Artemis grimaced as he walked to the front door. He opened it to find 'Travis', No.1's eerily handsome alter ego, standing outside the door. He was smiling, wearing a short sleeve button-down and blue jeans.

"You had to wear jeans." Artemis commented wearily as he invited him in.

"It _is_ the weekend you know."

"I know. Now Holly will make me change." He sighed.

"Maybe it would be good for you. You can't possibly be comfortable in suits _all the time_?" No.1 interjected.

"Actually, I'm very comfortable. Perhaps they are not the most physically comfortable outfit, but _I_ am most comfortable in them."

"Insecure?" No.1 jested.

Artemis narrowed his eye. _Yes, actually._ He said nothing in response.

"Don't worry about it Artemis. I don't think I'd be able to recognize you in anything but a suit."

"Would you like to join my family for breakfast? I was just about to eat when you called."

"Yes, I'd love that. If it's okay, I mean."

"Of course. But remember, you are not my cousin. You are..." Artemis looked at his human facade. "an old friend from school." Artemis decided. _Travis_ looked about the same age as Artemis. Plus his parents would be pleased to think Artemis actually had a friend the many years he lived away from home in an all-boys boarding school.

"Am I still 'Travis'?" he asked.

"Yes, of course."

They joined Artemis's family at the table and Artemis introduced 'Travis' to his father and brothers. As suspected, his father was pleased to hear this young man visiting Artemis was a school friend. _Good call_... Artemis thought to himself. Then, _I hope he knows he's just a friend._ Both Artemis Senior and Junior attended St. Bartleby's School for Young Gentlemen. Artemis saw many things he never wished to… many that stained his memory to this day. He had no doubt his father had some stories as well. Artemis unconsciously shuddered at the memories.

Artemis Senior and Beckett asked Travis questions about himself and Artemis the Second was quite impressed by the story he compiled so quickly and convincingly. He could only imagine there had to be a small level of truth in the responses he gave for them to be so convincing. No.1 was just explaining how he never knew his parents growing up and was raised by an uncle, but since had been reunited with his mother. Then the group of men heard the front door opening from down the hall.

Butler immediately went to the door but saw it was just Mrs. Fowl and Juliet. "Hello Madam. Juliet. How did you two get home, if you don't mind my asking."

"Oh I didn't want to bother you Butler, driving all that way again. I called the livery service the hotel uses and had them drive us home." Angeline explained.

"I see. I hope you both had an enjoyable time. I didn't expect you back until later this evening." Butler responded.

"It was wonderful, yes. And we decided to come home early since I need to get the boys ready to go to their aunt's tonight."

"Ah. Well the family is sitting down for breakfast now." Butler directed their attention towards the kitchen.

"Oh good." Angeline scurried off to find her husband. Juliet followed behind.

Once Angeline burst into the kitchen, her eyes shot to her husband first. "Hi honey! I missed you so!" she said as she went to him and planted a kiss right on him. Artemis Senior pulled back slightly as he wasn't much of one for public displays of affection, at least in front of strangers.

"Honey. So good to see you." he started. "Have you met Travis yet?" he brought her attention to their company.

Angeline looked around to see the young man beside Artemis. "No! I haven't had the pleasure. I'm sorry. I'm Angeline Fowl, Arty's mother." she introduced herself as she extended her hand to greet him.

Travis gave her a small shake. "A pleasure, Madam."

Juliet came in to view moments later and saw Mrs. Fowl introducing herself to… _Hello, gorgeous! _she thought. Some hot, stylish… young… _delicious_ guy. The temperature in the room seemingly increased 10 degrees…

"Oh, how rude of me. This is Juliet Butler. _The_ Butler's youngest sister. She is part of our security detail here at the manor." Angeline said as she introduced Juliet to Travis.

No.1 stood to greet the beauty and when Juliet extended her hand to shake it, he turned her wrist to kiss her hand tenderly. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Juliet." he smiled at her.

_Woo…_ Juliet thought as she smiled bashfully. "Why, thank you. How long will you be staying?"

"Until after the wedding." No.1 replied.

"How wonderful. I look forward to getting to know you better." Juliet smiled coyly. _Much. MUCH. Better._

Artemis's eyebrows shot up. _Oh gods... no!_

* * *

**Oh you know what's happening next don't you? Oh yeah...**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! please? *bats eyelashes* 'kay, thanks.**


	22. Holy Matrimony

**A/N: So Tax-Man decided to leave some negative feedback. That's fine because not everyone needs to be in love with this story. I'm glad some of you are. I should remind you all that this is the first thing I EVER wrote so there are obviously some plot issues with it, I won't disagree to that. I have left him a PM in reply but if you would like to respond as well, that is your own prerogative. I still think I did a great job for my first try. What do you the rest of you think?**

**About this chapter… I incorporate a lot of my own experiences in marriage into my story. I've fallen crazy in love, had a wedding, a honeymoon, and the stresses of almost everyone around you disapproving of the union or other sorts of complications (though my husband and I are the same species THANK GOD. Lol). I've always felt love has a magical quality of overlooking many obstacles that would otherwise be viewed as insurmountable. **

**Enjoy the wedding (and subsequent honeymoon. Bow chica bow wow).**

**Disclaimer: Eoin Colfer owns the rights to Artemis Fowl. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

After dinner that night, Artemis walked upstairs will Holly to their bedroom but took pause before entering.

"What's up?" she asked.

"This is where I say goodnight to you, dear." he told her.

"What? You're not coming to bed?"

"Not with you. Not tonight."

"Are you serious? You're not even going to sleep with me tonight? And by that I do mean _sleep_. This is your room too, Artemis. Where are you going to go?"

"Another room. You will not see me after this until you meet me at the altar. So now I must bid you goodnight."

"Artemis..." she whined, "is this another of your strange human customs?"

"Well, it's my take on a strange human custom. Remember, we are not technically supposed to have slept together already. And by that I do _not_ mean sleep." he smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. So again, my question is 'what's the point?'"

"Holly, even for a nontraditional couple such as ourselves, it is still common practice for the groom to not see the bride the day of the wedding before it is time for them to be joined. It is considered bad luck."

"And suddenly _you _believe in luck?" she asked skeptically.

"No, not really. But I'm still Irish and can't help but feel slightly superstitious. It's in my blood."

Holly shook her head slightly in disbelief. "Fine, Arty. If this is how you want to do things." she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you." he said quietly as he hugged her in return. He held her for an immeasurable moment, running his fingers over her hair, not actually wanting to leave. He briefly tried to see Holly's perspective and succumb to staying with her tonight but he figured he could surely survive the next 16 hours not being in her presence. They'd still be in the same house after all. Artemis sighed as he released her finally and kissed her affectionately before opening the bedroom door for her.

Holly gave him a small smile as she walked in the bedroom and turned around to face him. She could feel his anxiety and she felt a little sympathetic for him. This wedding was a much bigger deal to him than her. She hoped it turned out to be everything he hoped for.

"Goodnight, Artemis."

"Goodnight, Holly."

The door shut softly and Artemis sighed again as he tried to steel his nerves. It was odd to be feeling nervous, or perhaps he was just anxious. His house was a hive of activity, even at this late hour. All the relatives that decided to stay at the manor rather than a hotel, all socialized with other relatives they hadn't even bothered to lift a phone receiver for since the last time someone died or got married. All the staff that needed to be hired on to host the event, buzzed throughout the manor preparing every last minute detail. Everything was set for tomorrow. It wasn't like he needed to worry about forgetting something. He even had backup plans for his backup plans so he wasn't concerned about things not going right. He supposed he was just... excited. A very bizarre notion indeed.

As Artemis went through his nightly routine in the furthest guest room from his normal bedroom, he figured he'd need to try either meditation or medication in order to get any sleep tonight. He went with the fail safe method and took one of his mother's sleeping pills. Less than 20 minutes later, he was yawning and rubbing his eyes as he wrote in his diary.

_Oh, forget it, _he submitted as he hit save and shut down his laptop. He was pretty certain he actually passed out before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Juliet knocked on the door not long after Artemis said goodnight to Holly. Holly walked to the door, wondering if Artemis had forgotten something or had, hopefully, changed his mind. But then why would he be knocking instead of just coming in? Then again, he'd been doing a lot of strange things lately.

"Yes?" Holly answered.

"It's me, Holly. Can I come in?" Juliet called out.

"Oh! Juliet! Yes, of course." Holly opened the door for her.

"Thanks. I just want to make sure you're all set for tomorrow. Do you have any questions about the schedule or anything else?"

"No. Artemis went over everything with me _several_ times. I think I'm up to speed."

"Oh, okay." Juliet stood half in the room, half in the hall, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She was trying to think of any other 'maid-of-honor' duties she was supposed to fulfill before the wedding day.

"Um, Juliet?"

"Yes?" she looked back at Holly expectantly.

"Could I, um, ask for a favor?" Holly asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Sure, anything."

"Would you mind... sleeping with me tonight? You don't have to, I mean, if you don't want to."

Juliet smiled brightly. "No way! I mean, of course I'll stay! Total slumber party!"

Holly rolled her eyes. "Right. Let's stay up all night talking about boys, paint our toenails and then have a pillow fight in our underwear."

Juliet laughed hard. "OMG. If we do that, we should totally record it for the boys. That would be like soft-core porn."

Holly shook her head, mildly disgusted. "Whatever. I'm just not used to sleeping alone anymore. Artemis plays with my hair until I fall asleep every night and I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight anyways, with tomorrow being such a big day and everything..."

"He plays with your hair every night?" Juliet asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

Juliet smiled. "Aww, that is so cute! Holly, you managed to find a decent guy buried _deep_ in that pretentious spoiled brat."

"Yeah, I was just as shocked when I unearthed it." she laughed heartily.

As the night wore on, Juliet did end up painting Holly's toenails, much to her protesting, in the same burgundy red she had painted her own toes and fingernails to match her bridesmaid dress. While Holly blew gently on her toes that had cotton balls stuffed between them, Juliet asked her about No.1.

"Where'd you get the name 'Travis' for him?" Juliet had since learned the name was simply an alias for his human persona. Though Juliet was aware that No.1 wasn't actually human, she didn't really understand who or _what_ he really was.

"Oh, I just made it up. He just looked like a 'Travis' to me. It's not like I could exactly call him _No.1_. It sounds more like a title than a name, which it actually was." Holly explained. Juliet nodded but clearly didn't understand what she meant.

They ended up talking late into the night, into early morning. Holly eventually yawned and turned to look at the clock. It read 2:56 a.m.

"What? Already? Juliet! You're keeping me up instead of helping me sleep!" Holly cried as she grabbed one of the many pillows on the bed and chucked it directly at Juliet's face.

Juliet, of course, caught it before it made contact and took the playful gesture as a challenge. She grabbed the pillow and chucked it at Holly full force. Holly managed to block the brunt of the force but yelled at Juliet all the same.

"Hey! You want to give me a black eye on my wedding night?" Holly feigned irritated until she had Juliet's guard down then threw the pillow back with all her strength. Holly managed to throw the pillow with such force that the stitching actually came undone and goose down flew out and everywhere into the room. Juliet squealed as she was coated in feathers.

Several minutes later and after the destruction of 3 other pillows, Holly admitted defeat. "Okay, okay. I surrender. You win." she said as she blew a feather from off her forehead.

Juliet held her sides as she laughed hard. "Oh.. my God. Look at the mess." she managed to squeak out between her fit of giggles.

"Great." Holly said flatly as she tried to push away most of the feathers from her side of the bed so she could lay down.

Juliet shook the blanket and the majority of the feathers fluttered to the floor. She snuggled in next to Holly, spooned next to her and started to finger-comb her hair, as she imagined Artemis would do to help her to sleep.

"Am I doing this right?" Juliet asked.

"Mm." Holly replied sleepily.

"Holly? Can I ask you something?"

"Mm?" Holly was drifting off and couldn't even bother to formulate words for Juliet.

"Are you happy? I mean, the whole 'get married and make babies' life. I wouldn't have picked you out to be the type."

Holly smiled then took a deep breath before responding. "No, I guess I wasn't the type. But I am happy. I'm happy with Artemis. And although the little one is unexpected, I'm still happy about him too."

"Oh. Okay. That's good. I mean, I'm happy for you if you're happy. I just know it wouldn't be something I would choose, that's all."

"It's not for everyone, Juliet. But you might be surprised. Someday you could meet someone who might change your mind."

"Not me, sweetie. Already chose my path." she replied. "Anyway, you should get some sleep now. Big day tomorrow."

"Yep. Big day..." Holly yawned. "G'night."

"'Night, Holly."

* * *

Butler knocked on the door to the room Artemis was staying in. There wasn't any reply so Butler walked in. His initial worry of Artemis not being there was immediately quelled when he could see him passed out in bed.

"Artemis. It's time for you to get up." he announced, trying to rouse him.

Artemis groaned and opened his eyes only slightly. It took less than a millisecond for his brain to kick start and suddenly he was instantly awake, sitting up in bed.

"Today is my wedding." he said in a very factual manner.

"Yes, Artemis. How did you sleep?"

"Fantastic. Completely dreamless and undisturbed. I can see why those pills can be addictive."

"You took your mother's sleeping pills?" Butler asked.

"Yes, otherwise I'd have gotten no sleep at all. Have you seen Holly yet this morning? Is Juliet helping her get ready?" he asked, already in tactician mode.

"I haven't checked. I needed to make sure you were awake and safe first."

"Yes, yes. Awake and safe, and getting ready. Now go check on the ladies please and report back. Let me know if there are any issues." Artemis ordered as he climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Yes, Artemis." With that, Butler left and headed towards Holly's room.

As Butler approached the room, Juliet heard him coming and opened the door. "About time." she huffed.

"Oh good. Artemis wanted to make sure you were with her. Are you two getting ready?"

"We would be, except I need to take her into my room where all the make up and hair products are. Can you make sure we have clearance?"

"Yes. He's in the shower." Butler said then peered in past Juliet and noticed the feathers everywhere. "Did _you _sleep here last night?" he asked, recognizing tell-tale signs of 'Juliet'.

"Yeah. How'd you guess?"

"Just lucky." he shrugged.

Once Holly and Juliet were in Juliet's room, she dressed in her white lace corset with the Cuban style lace top stockings that attached to the corset with garter straps. Juliet made a teasing cat call at her. Holly just smirked and rolled her eyes and she put a robe on over top of her lacy under things.

Juliet worked feverishly on getting all of Holly's hair into the hot curlers then moved on to make up. Just ask she finished applying the final touches to her face with a brush of rouge, they heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Juliet snapped. She hated being interrupted.

"Juliet? It's Angeline. Can I see Holly?" Angeline called out from the hallway.

"Oh. Yes, of course Mrs. Fowl." Juliet immediate went to the door and let her in.

"How many times have I told you to call me Angeline?" she smirked at Juliet then turned her attention to Holly. "Holly! You're not ready! You're running behind schedule!"

Holly started to feel anxious and she knew it wasn't her own emotions she was feeling. She knew she'd be ready shortly and back on schedule but picking up on everyone's emotions was draining. She could only imagine that the large portion of them was coming from Artemis himself.

"Holly. I wanted you to wear something today. I'm not sure if Artemis told you about our customs..." Angeline started.

"Which ones?" Holly cut her off, mildly irritated. How many stupid customs was she going to have to observe today? The list seemed never ending. Holly took a deep breath and remembered why she was doing all of this. _This_ is what _he _wants.

"There are to be four things on your person when you walk down the isle. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. If you didn't have something to fulfill the 'borrowed' category, I was wondering if you'd wear this. I wore it on my wedding day." Angeline held out a sapphire tennis bracelet that appeared to be quite old. The stones were huge and Holly could only begin to imagine the staggering monetary value of such a piece. "It can also serve as your 'something blue' if you didn't have that category filled yet either."

"Wow, I, um... Yes, thank you. I'll wear it." Holly finally managed to vocalize her thoughts after being stunned by the bracelet.

Angeline stayed with Holly until she was finished getting ready. As Juliet finished doing up all 30 silk covered buttons on the back of her gown, Holly starred at her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit, it was an impressive sight. "Nicely done, Juliet." she proclaimed.

"Thanks. But I already had good raw material to work with." she winked at her. "Okay, you have your 'something borrowed and blue', your dress is new, you need your old."

"Well, the 'old' thing can be my mother's necklace. It's old... trust me."

Angeline put the bracelet around Holly's wrist as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh, Holly. You're simply stunning. Just think. After today, you'll be a Fowl." she announced with tears in her eyes.

Holly's eyes widened with alarm. Why was this the first time she was thinking about this? It was expected that she'd change her name to her husband's. _Holly Fowl_ she thought the words in her head for the first time together. "Oh gods, I need to sit down."

* * *

Artemis was just finishing getting dressed when Butler came back to his room, dressed in a black tuxedo with a burgundy vest and bow tie that matched the fabric of Juliet's dress.

"Are you ready, Artemis?" he asked.

"Just about." Artemis had decided on the classic black tuxedo with tails, partially because Holly had some sort of fetish for black. He did have to agree that white was not flattering for his skin tone and that black matched his hair. Once Artemis had finished with his bow tie, he placed the cuff links that Holly had given him for his 20th birthday into his cuffs. "Now I am."

Once Artemis was completely ready, he took a deep, slightly ragged breath. "Well, I suppose I shall head down now." he announced to Butler.

Butler smiled at seeing the anxiety in his young charge. "Everything will be perfect, Artemis."

"Of course it will be. I planned it." Artemis said will all seriousness.

Butler chuckled slightly. _That's more like it._ he thought. It was somewhat comforting to see some things never change.

Artemis stood with the priest at the altar with Butler at his side, looking out at the many relatives and associates he was surprised bothered to come. There were a good 75 people that actually showed. He immediate spotted Minerva with her father and Beau sitting in the third row in the right side. Minerva was already crying and her mascara was running. Artemis smiled at her and she seemed to compose herself slightly.

Holly had made her way downstairs once Butler had informed Juliet that Artemis was outside. Holly smoothed her dress out anxiously, hoping Artemis would like the dress she picked. He managed to not peek, not that Holly cared. It was Artemis who was being ridiculously superstitious.

As she waited just inside the terrace, Juliet danced impatiently like an excited child just in front of her. Holly felt like her heart was jumping between her throat and stomach.

"Would you calm down! You're stressing me out!" Holly hissed.

"Sorry." Juliet mumbled and collected herself. Suddenly, the music changed and the string quartet that was playing finished Pachelbel's Cannon in D and a harpist began to play.

"Ah! That's my cue! When the music changes again, come out." Juliet said right before she stepped out on to the terrace.

Juliet walked down the isle with graceful, purposeful steps. Very unlike her natural canter. Artemis smiled at her as she approached and took her place to his far left side. Her burgundy dress was strapless and high waistline, making her already long legs appear longer. Her bouquet was made up of dark red and white roses. It was the only thing Artemis could get Holly's opinion on. When she simply stated she liked roses best, Artemis did the designs and sent them off to the florist. He was glad to see that Juliet's was done correctly.

Holly took a deep breath to steady her nerves. The music shifted again and the rest of the string quartet began to join the harpist, playing the Wedding March. Holly rearranged the features on her face which she knew had been set in a steel determined look, into something more like a smile. However, as she stepped out on the terrace and came into view of all in attendance, she saw every face turn towards her. She heard gasps and cameras clicking madly. Holly wasn't normally one to become overly self-conscious, but being the center of attention to nearly a 100 people, most of whom she did not know, was a little overwhelming. Holly's smile falter as she could feel her cheeks begin to blaze.

She sensed Artemis before she actually saw him. His anxious excitement was such a foreign emotion to her to feel. She looked down towards him, standing at the altar, waiting for her. She had to resist the urge to run to him, remember it was part of the ceremony to be slow and graceful.

As she headed towards him, Artemis finally got to see her dress for the first time. She had chosen a modern rendition of a Celtic style dress. It had a corset style bodice with a flowing a-line skirt with a chiffon overlay. The corset was embroidered with knot work though it was very subtle with white stitching on white fabric. The dress had sheer sleeves that were long, extending right to her wrists but the cuff was a wide bell, giving it a waterfall effect. Artemis sighed wistfully as she came into his vantage point. She was truly the most exquisite looking sight he had ever seen. He silently thanked whichever deity had blessed him with Holly and hoped that they knew how truly thankful he was to be blessed with such good fortune.

When he took her hand as she joined him on the altar, Artemis's grasp on her hand tightened in silent communication. He hoped she knew how beautiful she was today and how happy she had made him.

The priest raised his palms and began a prayer and blessing on their behalf. Holly very discreetly gave Artemis a raised eyebrow to which he just subtly shrugged to. It was a Christian wedding. There were certain things he had to concede to. However, the entire ceremony was simply to be just a ceremony. There was to be no Catholic Mass as it was not in a church and Holly was not Catholic. The priest initially gave much protesting to Artemis becoming 'unevenly yoked' but a very large contribution to the church seemed to quiet the issue.

Artemis had spoken with the priest about the vows prior to the wedding. Since the likelihood of him ever being poor was very slim, the vow of 'richer or poorer' was removed. And Holly and him were very unlikely be sick with the power to heal, not to mention death would never 'do them part' since they were destined to head to the grave together. Hence, traditional vows didn't seem very applicable.

The priest began the ceremony by addressing all in attendance. "We are gathered here today, before God, to join Artemis and Holly in holy matrimony. As God is the originator of marriage and creator and very epitome of love, let us consider His words in the inspired letter from St. Paul to the Corinthian congregation found in the Holy Scriptures."

The priest opened a large leather-bound Bible. "We read at 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 through 8: 'Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.'

"The vows you take today will forever bind you to one another, in the eyes of man and God. As we come before the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please state your intent. Have you come here freely and without reservation, to give yourself to each other in marriage?"

"Yes." they both answered in unison. Holly knew this was all pomp and circumstance but thought it was an odd question to ask. Then again, not all are given the opportunity to marry 'freely and without reservation.' She was very thankful that she _was _given the choice, especially since her choice was a rather unconventional one.

"Will you love and honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?"

"Yes." they answered together.

"Since it is your intent to enter into marriage, join your right hands and declare your consent before God and these witnesses." The priest gave Artemis his queue to begin.

Since he had written the vows, he did not need to repeat them from the priest. Artemis took Holly's hand in his own. "Holly, I take you to be my wedded wife. I pledge you the rest of my life, as your partner and your friend. I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live."

Holly could feel her blush return. It was strange for her to be before so many people and making such a declaration. She felt a bit timid making a public expression of love and commitment. But at the same time, she wanted everyone to know it was Artemis she had chosen to be with, and that he had likewise, chosen her. She steadied her voice before calmly reciting the vows she had worked hard at memorizing over the past week.

"Artemis, I take you to be my wedded husband. I pledge you the rest of my life, as your partner and your friend. I vow to love you and care for you as long as we both shall live."

"May we have the rings now, please." The priest requested. Myles and Beckett stepped forward, Myles giving Holly's ring to Artemis and Beckett giving Holly Artemis's ring.

The priest continued. "As a token that you will faithfully perform these vows, you will now exchange rings. The ring is an endless circle: a symbol of the covenant you are making here today."

Again, Artemis proceeded first, "This ring I give you, Holly, as a sign of our constant and abiding love." Artemis took the small ring that was a custom made wrap band, encrusted with a total of 16 diamonds, and soldered to her engagement ring, and placed it on her third finger.

Holly followed suit, taking the ring she had been given from Beckett, and repeated the same vow Artemis had said to her. As she placed the ring over his finger, his face beamed with pride and gratitude towards her.

"Now that you, Artemis and Holly, have agreed together to enter the holy state of marriage, before God, and these witnesses of your vows, I therefore, by virtue of authority vested in me as a minister of the gospel, pronounce you husband and wife, one together, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The priest took the hand fasting cords and tied them around Holly and Artemis's joined hands. "What God has joined together, let no one divide."

Holly appreciated that he had incorporated this custom into the ceremony. Hand fasting was still a regular practice amongst The People.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Artemis unabashedly placed a passionate kiss on Holly and the audience erupted into applause. He briefly thought of the many times he had kissed Holly, but how, not once until now, he had never kissed his wife.

The priest announced them to all in attendance. "I would like now to introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Artemis Fowl the Second."

Holly felt her spine stiffen. _Oh gods... I'm not just 'Holly Fowl', I'm MRS. Holly Fowl._ she thought. That would take some time to get used to. Thankfully, she had plenty of that.

Artemis squeezed her hand. He hoped he would one day be able to express to her just how thankful he was to her, for everything she had given him, put up with, and sacrificed on his behalf.

As they descended down the isle together, the audience simply clapped and took photos. Even though it was an outdoor wedding, Holly had forbid the stupid tradition of throwing rice when Artemis had explained the custom to her. She knew birds would eat the rice and it could potentially kill them. Artemis agreed, imagining the makings of a Hitchcock film.

Artemis's hand never let go of Holly's as they made their way to the entrance to the manor. The guests filed into a line to congratulate the newly married couple. The first of which was No.1.

"Congratulations, you two. Now everyone here will at least have an idea of what your bond is to each other." No.1 said. He first shook Artemis's hand who managed to fight his reaction to the sensation of touching him in human shape. However, when he hugged Holly, she didn't hide her expression as well as she embraced the spongy feeling human boy.

"Still weird feeling." she mumbled under her breath to him.

"Only to you two." he smiled, almost suggestively. "I'll see you at the reception."

Artemis's aunt Rose was next. She hadn't even bothered to extinguish her cigarette for the ceremony and Artemis gave her a rather disgusted and irritated look.

"Congratulations, dear Arty. When did you go and grow up on all of us." she said as she gave him a hug. Artemis visibly grimaced.

"Where did you find this one, Arty? One of your travels to the islands? Don't you know you're supposed to just have your fun with the locals? Not marry them." she said as she noted Holly's dark complexion. She said her comment with a jesting tone but Artemis knew she was actually quite serious.

"Holly is Irish. Not all Irish are Caucasian these days." Artemis said, very irate. Of course, Holly wasn't actually Irish, but if she was any nationality, it would be Irish. Haven was directly below Ireland after all.

She looked back at him with a curious look. "I don't remember your eyes being hetero-chromatic."

Artemis gave her a false smile. He very rarely wore colored contacts to hide his eye color. "Yes, well, they are." he simply stated factually. "You know, a child's eyes can change color up to two years of age. I don't believe we've spoken since granddad's funeral." Artemis said in an almost cutting tone. His grandfather passed before his 2nd birthday.

"Mm. Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, congratulations once again. And to you, Holly. Welcome to the family." she gave a fake smile to Holly. Her smile seemed to fade as she noticed her eyes - the exact shade of Artemis's in reverse. "Your eyes..."

"Yes, it was how our relationship began. When I noticed her eyes, we began talking about the many other things we have in common. Now, we do need to greet the rest of the guests. We can talk more at the reception." Artemis lied to his far-too observant aunt and tried to usher her along before she took noticed of too many other things.

"Right. Of course. I'm very happy for you both." she said hurriedly as she moved on. Artemis gave her one of his cold, yet cautious smiles. The kind that is anything but sincere. Holly gulped nervously as she saw Rose return the exact same smile to him. As Holly met more of his extended family, she realized very quickly why he had no contact with any of them. They were all so fake and insincere. Everything was about appearance and coming across as 'proper.'

During the reception, Artemis had arranged a traditional 'first dance' for him and Holly but all others were done away with. He would still dance with his mother at some point in the evening but with Holly's father not present, a 'Parents' dance' didn't seem appropriate and the bridal party was rather small.

After the meal, the dance floor was opened to the attendants. Minerva debated asking either Butler or Artemis himself to dance, but instead chose to sit at her table, completely stoic.

While she sat there, looking out into space, Myles approached her. He appeared like an uncanny replica of a younger Artemis in his tuxedo. "Miss Paradizo, would you care to dance?"

Minerva blinked, surprised. "With you?" she asked, surprised.

Myles rolled his eyes in a rather irritated fashion. "Yes, of course with me. I don't make requests for others." he replied curtly.

"Oh." Minerva said quietly. "I, um... sure." she said as she took the small boy's hand.

Myles led her on to the dance floor, and began to lead her in the dance with a grace that it seemed every aristocratic boy was trained to have from a very young age.

Minerva smiled at the young boy who reminded her so much of his brother. He was cute, in a little boy kind of way.

Myles immediately recognized the look she was giving him. He hated that no one could ever see him as an individual without his age attached in some manner. He had had lengthy conversations with Artemis about this before and listened how Artemis had experienced similar frustrations. Artemis dealt with it by dressing like an adult and attempting to consistently speak above everyone he could. But even Artemis recognized this only afforded him a small measure of added respect as a child.

"Minerva. I do hope you are aware that my IQ is only 8 points below Artemis's and is vastly higher than any of the young men you invite to your dinner parties. Therefore, you shouldn't regard me as simply a child of my few years. I am already fluent in three languages and half way through my bachelor's degree."

"I wasn't aware of that, Myles. What does a smart boy like you intend to do when you grow up?"

Myles narrowed his eyes are her. "Engineering. I will remove mankind's dependence on fossil fuels and convert society over to renewable resources."

"Wow. A noble goal." Minerva said in tone that informed Myles she was simply humoring him.

Myles appeared rather irritated and figured it best to be blunt. "Minerva, I will be straight with you. It is my intent to court you. Coming from a family of wealth yourself, you are aware that there are expectations placed upon you in choosing your marriage mate. It is intended that you should be partnered with someone of equal or greater material wealth than yourself, who will only elevate your status in society. As my brother has callously pushed this obligation aside, it is all the more so expected of me to be obedient. I should very much like to not have just any rich girl assigned me as a wife. I would prefer to choose a woman with an intellect that challenges my own and would partner with me in my goals for the future. I believe you to be a suitable match for me."

Minerva gaped silently initially for several seconds. "Myles... you're... you're not even yet six years old!" she exclaimed. "Thirteen years my junior! Shouldn't you wait until you're actually of an age where you can seriously consider courting a girl then choose someone your own age?"

Myles sighed, exasperated. "I predicted you would react this way. However, the fact of the matter is, age is irrelevant. I will grow older whether or not I choose to, therefore, the matter will become a moot point with the passage of time. In 12 years, I can choose whomever I wish as a spouse. I simply wish to choose you."

"Twelve years is more than double the time you've been alive, you realize."

"I am aware of that fact. Are you overly concerned with our age difference because you will be 31 before I can legally wed you? It is true, we will not have the opportunity to have much time together as a married couple before moving forward with children, as your fertility will drop after 35. Of course, we could always have your eggs cryogenicly stored in the meantime."

_"WHAT?"_ Minerva's voice kicked up an extra octave. "I am NOT having this conversation with... with.. a CHILD!"

Myles sighed again as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Myles was discovering quickly what Artemis had told him about women tending to be very unreasonable. "Minerva. You have to admit. I am not an average child. And if the topic is simply too fantastical for you to entertain at present, then we shall shelve the matter for now. However, I do not want you to think I am admitting defeat. I will continue to pursue you until I've placed a ring upon your left hand." With that, he softly kissed her hand. He gently bowed to her before taking his leave. The eerie resemblance in the vampiric grin he gave her as he left sent a shiver up her spine. All Minerva could do was stare blankly in her bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Juliet had managed to snatch Artemis for a dance. He begrudgingly obliged, knowing he would have to dance with several people he'd rather not tonight. Juliet smiled sincerely at him. "Congrats... _Tab A._" she giggled.

"Are you ever going to tell me what that means? How did I acquire such an odd nick name?" Artemis asked, irritated.

"Oh sure, I'll tell you. We were making reference to your anatomy." Juliet smiled mischievously.

Artemis flushed. "What did she tell you?" he asked, extremely nervous and self-conscience. Juliet burst into laughter.

As Artemis was dancing with Juliet, Butler approached him. "We have company."

Artemis's expression went stern as he turned to Juliet. "Stay with Holly." With that, he left the ballroom with Butler.

Holly had been dancing with No.1 at the time and noticed Artemis and Butler leaving the room. She sensed Artemis's anger and agitation. She nervously began to go after him but Juliet stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?" she said as she took hold of her by the shoulder and spun her back towards the room.

"Where's he going? What's going on?" Holly asked nervously.

"Don't worry about it, Holly. Dom is with him. He's fine." Juliet tried to reassure her.

"No. No he's not. Something is wrong. Juliet. I need to be with him! Let me go!" Holly pleaded.

"Not just yet, sweetie. Artemis gave me an order. You stay here for now."

Holly was getting panicked. If this was any other female, Holly wouldn't doubt for a second whether or not she could clobber her. But this was Juliet, and Holly was currently pregnant. She had to think of something else.

_"You will let me pass."_ Holly commanded, her voice layered with the hypnotic effects of the _mesmer_.

Juliet blinked, slightly disoriented. "Hey... none of that 'do re mi' business..."

_"LET ME PASS!"_ Holly pushed the mesmer harder than she normally liked to. Juliet's eyes would look fuzzy for a good week now.

Juliet stepped aside, completely dazed. Holly felt guilty for tricking her friend but wasn't going to allow Artemis to be put in any danger.

Holly ran through the manor, searching for Artemis and Butler. She eventually passed by the conference room and happened to hear voices coming from behind the door. Voices... talking in Gnommish. Holly burst through the doors. She immediately laid eyes on Artemis, his arms crossed and his expression fierce. As he turned to see Holly, he was initially surprised to see her but then seemed rather irritated with her.

"Why are you here? Go back to the party." he said sternly.

"What's going on? Tell me!" Holly demanded.

_"Hello, Holly."_ A familiar voice called to her in Gnommish.

Holly turned towards to voice to see the elf she once held great affection for. "Trouble?"

Trouble smiled meekly at her. _"You look lovely. I just wanted to say, well, I guess... congratulations."_

"Yes, well, now you have and so you can leave now." Artemis interrupted.

_"Listen, Mud Boy. I told you I just wanted to talk to her. Can't you just bugger off for a little while?"_ Trouble rudely requested of Artemis.

"No, I can't. This is MY house and you are here on Holly's and MY wedding day. Now why don't YOU bugger off!"

"Arty... " Holly pleaded. Trouble was probably the only person who got Artemis so angry. "Just a few minutes?"

Artemis silently seethed. He absolutely _hated _that she still cared for this man. It wasn't simply because he was her ex-lover, but he had tried to rip Holly away from him. It was an unforgivable offense. "You have five minutes. Then get the hell out. I'm counting." Artemis stood back and let Holly pass him, but never left the room.

_"Can't you give us a little privacy here?"_ Trouble pushed.

"Hell no. Besides, you never afforded me the same courtesy." Artemis spat at him. He was still ticked at him for placing a bug in his bedroom and recording a few rather intimate experiences between him and Holly.

Trouble quietly growled but didn't push his luck. He was there unauthorized and therefore had no back up. And taking on the Mud Giant would be stupider than taking on a bull troll. At least trolls were stupid and only armed with what nature gave them. Butler was a skilled fighter and packed heat. Not to mention, had taken down bull trolls single-handed.

_"Fine."_ Trouble conceded. _"Holly. I just wanted to tell you, I'm, well, I'm sorry. I've behaved like a total ass to you. I should have got the hint a long, long time ago. But I didn't want to give up on hope. But it's quite evident that I should now. We're both married... and not to each other. And well, I guess I just wanted to say, if you're happy, then I can try to be happy for you."_ Trouble stumbled through his words even though he had practiced them in his head many times already.

"Trouble..." Holly started, her voice losing volume. "I... uh. I guess, thank you."

_"Yeah well, whatever. No big deal. I guess we both need to move on. You hear I'm going to be a parent too?"_

"I did. Congratulations. Triplets? Is that right?"

_"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Lili had the help of medical science but I can't prove it. Besides, if they're my kids, which it looks like they actually are, I want to be there for them, you know? Like my dad wasn't."_

"That's great, Trouble. I'm sure you'll make a great dad."

Trouble gave a small insincere laugh. "Thanks. You too. You know... I always thought you'd be a great mom."

Artemis stiffened. "Time's up." He put his hand on Holly's shoulder and pulled her towards him. He glared at Trouble dangerously. Trouble scowled back at him but still decided to play by his rules.

_"Okay, Artemis. I'll go. You better take good care of her. You don't deserve her, remember."_

Artemis didn't argue with him. There were many times where Artemis thought that exact same sentiment. Still, he wasn't about to agree with Trouble. He instead began to lead Holly out of the room.

_"Hey, Holly. I'm here... if you need someone to talk to. You don't have to be a stranger."_

Holly nodded. "Okay. Thanks. See you, maybe." she said as Artemis literally pushed her out. He left Butler with the duty of escorting Trouble out of the manor.

Once they were out in the foyer, Artemis was just about to start in on Holly but she interrupted before he got the chance.

"Artemis. Thank you. That meant a lot to me. I'm glad I got to close that chapter of my life, in a sense. It's good to have some sort of closure." She gently squeezed his hand as she spoke to him.

Artemis's scolding died in his throat. He just stared at her silently until he could compose an appropriate response. "Holly. I... I'm glad you feel that way." He couldn't say anything else. Holly's happiness would always take priority over his own feelings. Instead of saying anything more, he began to silently stew.

Holly could see how upset he was and tried to move past this. "Let's go back to the party. We are the guests of honor, after all." she said as she smiled brightly at him.

Artemis managed a weak smile for her and conceded. He walked back to the ball room with her to finish the evening of dry and insincere conversation with relatives who were practically strangers and stiff and formal dancing with people he'd rather not be with at the moment. Artemis sighed at the thought. He hoped this is what his parents had in mind when they thought of their son getting married. Artemis only wanted a ceremony. A reception was rather unnecessary in his opinion but seemed to be what was socially expected.

The evening wore on and Holly was actually getting quite tired. The emotional drain of the day, along with the physical, was very taxing on a pregnant woman. Artemis decided the night had worn on long enough and he had fulfilled his obligation to his parents and society. Artemis and Holly said goodnight to their guests in a rather rushed manner, hoping to not get stuck in dreary conversation with anyone.

As Artemis tugged impatiently at Holly, they headed up towards their room through the servant's kitchen, hoping to leave unnoticed by the remaining guests they had not said farewell to. Artemis silently debated between ravishing her in the bedroom or waiting until they were on the plane. He most certainly wasn't going to wait until they got to Italy. That was a minimum of 4 hours from the time they'd leave to the time they'd get to the villa. He'd be far too exhausted by then and she'd no doubt be unconscious.

As they passed through a particularly secluded area of the manor, Artemis heard an odd sound of rustling fabric and hard breathing. His curiosity piqued, he cautiously looked around the corner to discover the source of the sound. Nothing could have quite prepared him for what he saw.

There was Juliet, pinned against the wall by _Travis_. No.1's hand was traveling up the hem of her dress, stopping to grope her ass. He kissed her neck while she moaned quietly. Even though they were fully clothed, the way he ground against her spread legs was indication that they wouldn't be for much longer.

Artemis gawked silently, in horror. Holly quickly and quietly took in the scene and managed to hide her snicker well. She gave Artemis a quick tug on the wrist to get him to move along since he had apparently turned to stone.

When they got to the upstairs corridor, Artemis suddenly seemed to regain the power of speech. "Oh my GOD! What the hell was THAT? She knows! She knows he's not human! Why... why is she doing that?" he trailed off, too baffled to comprehend Juliet's course of action.

"Artemis. Be reasonable. They are both consenting adults and he is not misleading her... really. Like you said, she knows he's not really human. It's her choice."

"Unbelievable. Why today of all days." Artemis muttered as he pressed his thumb against the gel pad reader that locked his bedroom door. The lock hissed quietly as it unlatched and Artemis opened the door. When he did, he froze halfway in the door. "What on earth..."

Artemis finally got to see the aftermath of Holly and Juliet's slumber party. No one had had the time to clean the room up and feathers were absolutely everywhere. He turned to Holly who only gave him a guilty giggle.

"We got a little carried away." she explained to him.

"You had a _pillow fight_? With Juliet?" he asked incredulously.

Holly outright laughed. "Yeah. I only broke on of the pillows though. Juliet can claim the kill on the other three."

Artemis fought hard to control his dirty smile. Unholy images suddenly flooded his mind and he fought to contain his composure. He resigned to change the subject.

"Let's get ready, love. We have a plane to catch."

* * *

**Chapter Notes: Okay so the honeymoon is the NEXT chapter. I know... I make you wait ALL that time and not even any smut in this one. *ducks from flying rocks* Hey! Be nice or I won't post anymore!**

**Once again, I just want to thank you all for supporting me and this story. It was truly a labor of love. This story is nearly 200K words and was completed in just over 6 months time. **

**Please remember to leave a review or you can always PM me. The reviews and PM's go right to my phone which, like Artemis, I have had surgically attached to my hip. ^_~ **

**290 reviews! Woo hoo! You guys ROCK! 10 more to 300 and the next delicious chapter.**


	23. Happily Ever After

**A/N: What can I say... This is it! The end! I want to say thank you to all my fans who have supported me through this experience. Thanks to my wonderful husband for editting for me. THANK YOU EVERYONE! This has been a total blast. I'm really very proud of this story and I hope you've all enjoyed reading it and will continue to review and suggest this story to your friends. I will still be including an epilogue to this story, just so you know. :D**

**Again, reminder this story was written PRIOR to Atlantis Complex, hence why Vinyaya is in it.**

**Kitsune-Heart is almost done with the podcast audiobook version of this story so please check back with either hers or my profile page for the link. **

**Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl is the property of Eoin Colfer. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

"I'm afraid I have to admit, I actually _need_ your help undressing." Holly walked up to Artemis, turned her back towards him and lifted her hair out of the way of the buttons down the back of her dress.

"I'm more than happy to assist." Artemis said as he started on the silk covered buttons.

"Thanks. This dress has like, a bajillion buttons."

"I don't believe _bajillion_ is an actual unit of measurement."

"Yeah, whatever. Just get them undone, will ya?"

Artemis had made his way through 19 of the tiny, fabric covered buttons before his hands felt like they were starting to cramp. "This dress has a bajillion buttons!" he exclaimed in a slightly mocking tone. He hoped he'd get a laugh out of her.

Holly giggled. She always thought it was funny when he quoted her colloquialisms. They were beyond foreign sounding coming from his mouth.

Finally making his way through enough of the buttons that Holly could slip free from the dress, he pushed the dress from off her shoulders while Holly tugged at the sleeves. As the dress began to slip off her, exposing her from above the waist, he could see she had some type of corset on beneath. Holly pushed the dress from off her hips and it spilled to the floor. She turned to face him to give him the full effect of her outfit.

Artemis gawked openly at the white lace corset that pushed her impressively larger breasts together, given her cleavage a heart shape. The corset ended just below her navel, where he could see the tiny white thong panties beneath. Around her thighs was a white garter belt attached to the white lace trim to her thigh-high white stockings. _The sexy kind with the line up the back of the calf._ She stepped out of her dress, still in her white heels, and looked at Artemis, trying to gauge his reaction. "Well?" she said as she put her hands on her hips.

Artemis seeming suddenly unfrozen, replaced her hands on her hips with his own. "Good God, Holly. Had I known you were wearing _that_ underneath, I'd have dragged you up here hours ago."

"Well, you got me here now." she said in a sultry, suggestive tone.

"I most certainly do." He began to kiss her jaw line, moving down her neck. His left hand went up into the back of her hair while the left traveled down the small of her back. He hummed appreciatively as he grabbed her bare ass cheek. "I think we shall exchange all of your panties for this style. I much prefer these."

Holly smirked as she pushed his jacket off, not caring that it would get wrinkled as it fell to the floor. She tugged at the bow tie around his neck. It came off effortlessly and she moved on to the buttons of his shirt. She made it down to the fourth one before he broke their kiss and pushed her back.

"Turn around." he demanded, a bit breathless, while unbuttoning the rest of his shirt himself. He grabbed at her hips and spun her to be facing away from him. Holly stumbled slightly as she was jostled and caught herself on the edge of the bed.

Holly balanced herself on the bed and reached for her ankle to undo the strap to her high heel. Artemis stilled her hand.

"Leave them on."

"What's with you and heels?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"They put you at a good height for me." he replied, then added "and they're incredibly hot."

Holly turned slightly to gawked at him in shock. When Artemis liked something he would use words like 'I find them to be attractive' or 'they are rather alluring'... definitely not _hot._ Holly was so stunned she almost forgot what they were in the middle of.

"Turn. Around." he demanded as he pushed her forward on to the bed. Holly put her hands down on the mattress and locked her elbows to hold her herself up. Artemis still wore his shirt, though unbuttoned, and his pants as he ground his erection against her bare ass.

"Stay put." he ordered as he backed up just slightly to admire her pussy, barely covered and dampening. As he carefully removed his cuff links, he weighed his options as to gaining entrance. She was covered by her panties and her garters would make removal impossible without first removing them, and frankly, he loved the garters and stockings. He could always hook the crotch of the panties to the side but he never really cared the interference it caused. As he put his cuff links into the drawer of his desk, he saw his third and most appealing option.

Holly heard a very bizarre noise that she had not heard since she was a junior cadet in training against the common weaponry of goblins and street gangs. She stiffened slightly then felt a slight 'snap' of the elastic releasing against the back of her waist, twice, right at the base of her tail bone. Suddenly, her panties were threaded off her body in shreds and she heard him closing the switch blade and placing it back in the drawer.

Holly giggled quietly. "You keep a switch blade in your desk drawer?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes." he replied as he freed himself from his shirt.

"Why, exactly?" she smirked. She could hear him working on his belt buckle as she asked.

"One knows not when circumstances shall necessitate the use of a switchblade." he replied as he kicked off his pants. "Like cutting your wife's panties off."

Holly felt Artemis angling her hips upwards so he could get at her pussy. When she rolled her hips up, she heard him gasp quietly at the sight. Apparently he liked his wedding present.

"My God... Holly. You... shaved." he stuttered. If he ever thought their wasn't a sight more erotic than her pussy previously, he was just proven wrong. The sight shot an electric thrill straight to his cock and he had to restrain himself from instantly mounting her and fucking her into oblivion.

Holly started to giggle again but abruptly stopped when his stuck his middle finger deep inside her body. "Oh!" she cried, more out of surprise than anything else.

"You're not wet enough yet." he noted as he pushed her up on the bed. Holly crawled up just slightly on her hands and knees on to the bed. She gasped as the next thing she felt was his tongue licking her slit.

"Oh fuck!" she cried as she pressed her cheek against the covers, fisting the blankets between her fingers.

Artemis ran his tongue up the length of her entrance, reveling in smoothness of her hairless skin and lapped at the moisture from inside her. Holly moaned incoherently as he pushed his tongue inside of her. Her legs began to quiver and he had to hold her by the hips in order to keep her steady. Several minutes later of the delicious torture, Holly was getting too frustrated by her need to get off.

"Artemis! I need you inside of me! Stop teasing!" she whined.

Artemis pushed himself away just enough to talk. "You sure that's what you want?" It was what _he_ wanted. Things were starting to get sore, and possibly blue. Still, he was trying to please her. She had given him so much. He had no idea what it meant for her to endure this stupid wedding on his behalf. Not to mention his ignorant relatives. He couldn't imagine anything he could sacrifice that would be of equal value to what she had done for him. Absolutely _anything_ he could do to show appreciation to her was worth the effort.

Of course, while Artemis was pondering all of this, Holly was getting severely frustrated. "D'ARVIT ARTEMIS! FUCK ME NOW OR SO HELP ME FROND!" she screamed at top volume. Artemis actually stumbled backwards, eyes wide, shocked and startled by her shouting. He made a mental note to not tease his hormonal wife to her breaking point again. He stood behind her and tugged her calves until she slid off the bed to be standing in front of him, facing away. Her heels made a small 'tap' sound as she stepped on to the hardwood floor.

"Bend over." The command was simple and to the point. In case for whatever reason she didn't understand or refused to obey, he grabbed her hip with one hand and pushed down on the small of her back with the other. Holly assumed her previous position, half bent over, except she was standing on the floor instead of kneeling on the bed. Artemis aligned the tip of his cock between the folds to her entrance. He grabbed each of her hips, his thumbs hooked under the band of her garter belt. He thrust into her while simultaneously pulling her on to him. Holly instantly screamed at the sudden and forceful movement. She began to moan and pant as he continuously hammered into her.

"Oh, gods, yes!" she wailed. "Ah... please... please..." she begged incoherently.

"Please, what? What do you want?" he rasped.

"Harder! Please! Don't stop! Ah!" she continued in lust-filled moans.

Artemis drilled into her harder and faster, pushing her forwards and up on to the bed. She crawled towards the center of the bed slowly, Artemis relentlessly drilling into her all the while, until he had to climb onto the bed in order to stay connected with her. The bed frame creaked and the springs squeaked as he continued to thrust into her. He knelt behind her spread legs and she arched her back, rolling her hips up to match his rhythm. Artemis noticed her corset attached in the back with approximately 16 hook and eye clasps, give or take 2. Dying to touch her breasts, he released her hips and started on the corset.

"Yes! Oh Arty, take it off! I want you to touch me!" Holly cried.

"As you wish." he muttered quietly as he made his way deftly through each of the clasps until the garment was completely undone and he could remove it entirely. Once unclasped, he grabbed it and tossed it to the floor. Holly sighed as it came off. Not only did she want him to touch her breasts badly, but she had to admit, that thing was horribly uncomfortable. It was a relief for more than one reason to be freed from it.

"Ahh... please. Kiss my neck, Artemis." she begged. Artemis could feel her walls starting to spasm and clench around him and complied with her request quickly. He leaned over her, his slick chest against her sweaty back. As he put his hands down on the bed to keep himself up while he kissed her neck, his left hand found hers and he laced his fingers between hers. His right hand groped her breast roughly, alternating stimulation from palming her entire breast to pinching and pulling on her nipple.

Holly was lost in a heady daze. She had no idea what it was she was wailing for him to do. All she knew was whatever she was screaming, he was complying and it was total ecstasy.

"Oh, Artemis. Please. I need you to touch me." she said as she gyrated her hips against his, meeting his thrusts in an opposing rhythm. Artemis smirked against the skin of her neck as he leaned back, bringing her with him by keeping his grasp on her breast. He kept her back against him while he brought her up on to her knees.

His fingers were still threaded into her left hand. He put both of their hands over her clit and moved his mouth from his neck to her ear. He licked the tip of her pointed ear before he whispered to her.

"Touch yourself."

Holly moaned as she complied. She pressed two fingers against her clit, though it felt like four as she squeezed his fingers between hers. The wetness of her arousal coated their fingers as she pressed a firm, circular motion over her swollen and soaked womanhood. Her walls were now in a constant state of contraction and clamped down against his cock like a vise. Suddenly, her legs shook and what were previously incessant moans quieted momentarily as she moved their hands over herself. A hot fluid spilled out over their fingers and a piercing scream of ecstasy rang from her lips. She nearly collapsed from her orgasm and fell forward onto her hands, locking her elbows to stay up and connected to Artemis. Thankful that she had finally came, he gripped each of her shoulders and pounded into her several more times, coaxing on his own climax. Holly continued to moan while he thrust into her until she felt him suddenly still and felt his hot release spill into her, his cock pulsing inside of her with each wave of his orgasm.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Holly." Artemis panted and gasped for air as he rested his forehead between her shoulder blades.

Holly huffed out a small laugh. "Doesn't your religion have some rule about using your Lord's name in vain or something?"

"I think he'll understand." Artemis laughed weakly. Suddenly, a cold breeze brushed across their overheated bodies. It would have been wonderfully refreshing to Artemis if he hadn't smelt that the air was tinged with cigar smoke. And that could only mean one thing...

Both Holly and Artemis's eyes shot open as they heard laughter in deep bass tones and applause from outside their open bedroom window. Mortified, Artemis uncoupled himself from Holly and went to the window. Sure enough, there were several drunken old men still lingering from the reception, no doubt outside to smoke since Angeline forbid such practices in the house with the boys.

Artemis leaned out the window to shout at the old men. They again, applauded as they noticed him in the window. Who they were, Artemis couldn't quite make out in the dark. He could tell from the silhouettes there was about 4 or 5 of them, all with a glass in one hand and a cigar in the other. Artemis recognized the smell was an expensive Cuban brand and was definitely a 'special occasion' smoke. Regardless of who they were, they were eavesdropping.

"Don't you fuckin' lechers have somewhere better you can be?" Artemis shouted, seriously pissed about the intrusion.

"Such a mouth, Arty. I thought I taught you better." he heard his father say before beginning to chuckle. He continued, addressing one of the other men, "I shouldn't scold. He probably inherited that from me, along with _other things_." he hinted, his comments thick with innuendo. More deep guffaws filled the air. Artemis paled.

"Have fun on your honeymoon, Holly!" Artemis Senior continued. The other men chuckled. Artemis turned to stone.

"I'm sure I will! Thanks!" Holly shouted back down, completely unabashed by their audience.

More laughter. Artemis quietly heard his father proclaiming to the other men "That's my daughter-in-law!" before he slammed the window shut.

Artemis turned to look at Holly who was sprawled out on the bed, sweaty and naked aside from a garter belt, stockings and heels. She smiled warmly at him, trying to calm him down. He was obviously perturbed.

Artemis was stunned by her expression. He figured she'd be the one who'd be embarrassed. In all honestly, he was trying not to feel smug at the applause. That was, until he knew one of the drunken men was his father. But he thought she'd be ashamed since it was _her_ they had heard, and well, it was a bunch of _men_. He stared at her, slightly amazed by her audacious attitude.

"You're not upset?" he asked as he walked back towards her on the bed.

Holly sat up to face him and shrugged. "Should I be? Would you prefer people think I wasn't satisfied on my wedding night?"

"No. That wouldn't be preferable." he admitted. "Still, I prefer privacy. Why was the window even opened? It's October."

"I knew we'd get hot." she smirked.

Artemis gawked at her. "You knew people could possibly still be outside."

Holly's smile turned eerie as her upper lip curled just slightly upwards, exposing her incisors. Artemis gaped. He was certainly rubbing off on her.

"When did you turn into an exhibitionist?" he accused.

Holly crawled off the bed and stood in front of him. In her heels, she was only a few inches shorter than him. She smiled coyly at him while she wrapped her hand around the back of his head and stood her tiptoes. She pressed her lips against his softly before strutting off to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. You're welcome to join me." she said, ignoring his accusation and changing the topic of conversation entirely.

"Amazing." Artemis shook his head in disbelief. She would never cease to astound him.

* * *

After showering, Holly changed into casual clothes. Her regular 'jeans and a t-shirt' look. Most of her clothes were starting to get tight and uncomfortable. Especially her jeans. She had found a rubber band in the kitchen and looped it through the fly's buttonhole and fastened her pants closed with it. She pulled her shirt down over top of it so she was pretty sure no one would notice.

Artemis had finally conceded to wearing something slightly more casual and dug out the khakis and Polo shirt from the very bottom of his drawers to try to meet Holly half way. No jeans. He couldn't understand why they were the most popular garment worldwide right now. They weren't even comfortable. Far too tight in _certain _areas.

Butler took their bags out to the Bentley and had personally threatened the chauffer Artemis had hired to give Butler the day off. Butler wouldn't have it.

"Artemis, you are, once again, making my job unnecessarily difficult." he complained.

"Butler. I respect and appreciate your concern for my safety. But I need a measure of privacy, which you are currently not affording me." Artemis argued.

"I'm just driving you to the airport. I'd fly you there too if you'd let me but something tells me you won't."

Artemis simply raised his eyebrows, signaling there would be no further discussion on the matter.

Artemis had hired a pilot to fly them to the villa and then return the jet to Ireland. He knew it was probably a waste of fuel but he just couldn't get himself to fly commercial. Even in business class, you still had to stick to someone else's timetable and that was just purely inconvenient. Not to mention the recycled air for all those people... especially the very full back half of the plane flying coach. Far too many _common_ contaminants to risk exposure.

Artemis and Holly arrived at the airport 2 hours later than Artemis had told the pilot he'd be there. Needless to say, the pilot was a bit annoyed. Still, one does not display anger with one's clients. Especially very rich clients. The man politely greeted to the young couple.

"Evening sir, madam." The pilot removed his hat and bowed just minutely as he addressed them while they boarded. Artemis nodded slightly in acknowledgment but never bothered with a proper reply.

Holly's eyes widened hugely at the greeting. _Suddenly I have a chunk of hardware on my hand and I'm a 'madam'?_ She grimaced marginally at the thought.

"What's wrong?" Artemis questioned. If her body language wasn't enough to tell him something was bothering her, the emotions he sensed betrayed her.

"Nothing." she lied. He could tell.

Artemis quirked an eyebrow at her response. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But don't lie to me. I know when something is bothering you. Won't you just tell me what you're thinking?"

"It's just this whole marriage thing is going to take some getting used to. I mean, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, because I am happy. But becoming a 'madam' or 'missus' makes me feel old and the whole name change thing makes me feel like I'm losing a bit of myself, you know? I mean, that name belonged to my father and I know that's the whole point; that a woman is supposed to be given from the father to her mate and she never really has a name of her own, it's always some _man's_, but still, it was my dad's. And letting go of that name is letting go of the last part of him I'm connected to."

"Holly. You do not need to change your name. I'd understand if you didn't."

"No, it's not that Artemis. I don't know. I'm not able to put it in words. I guess it was a bit hard being around your huge family today and not a single person there was related to me. I suppose I just miss my parents."

Artemis was actually at a loss for words, something that rarely happened. He resigned to simply holding her.

"I'm sorry, Arty. I didn't want to be depressed today. Today is a happy day. And I am happy. Honest. _You_ are who I've chosen to belong with, and _you_ are, quite thankfully, still alive. I need to live in the present. I need to keep looking forward."

"Holly -" Artemis paused, trying to come up with something to say that would be comforting. Despite his psychology degrees, comforting people was one of the very few things that Artemis did not excel in. "I'm sorry your parents weren't with us today. Perhaps, they were there in spirit." Artemis didn't really have much of a belief in the afterlife, but he did certainly hope that life went on in some fashion. It seemed like a terrible waste for things to simply end at death.

Holly gave a sincere smile to him. "Yeah. I like to think so." She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. "Thanks, Arty."

The pilot's voice came on over the intercom announcing that they would be taking off shortly and advised them to take their seats. Artemis sat beside Holly, stroking her hair gently as the hum of the engines lulled her to sleep. Artemis was pretty certain she was completely out before they even hit 10,000 feet. _Good thing I slept with her before hand..._ Artemis thought briefly, just before he drifted off to sleep himself.

They arrived in Italy 3 hours and 22 minutes later. Artemis was woken when the pilot announced they'd be landing shortly. He had contacted a local livery service to take them to the villa, in which they both fell asleep in the back seat.

When they had finally arrived at the villa, Artemis was feeling quite annoyed at having such light sleep and being woken so many times now. Holly was also very groggy. Artemis scolded himself for bothering to travel, but hoped it would afford them some much needed privacy. Upon finally making it into the bedroom, Holly couldn't even stop to appreciate the architecture of the villa. All she saw was '_Bed!'_ She peeled off her clothes and dove in. She was already out cold before Artemis even crawled into bed beside her. _So much for action... _He though. There was always tomorrow... and two weeks after that.

* * *

_Seven hours prior, back in Fowl Manor..._

Minerva sat at the dining table, miserably downing the remaining champagne that wasn't consumed by the other guests. Artemis had put alcohol limits on the guests and Minerva was well past hers. She drank the half empty glass that her neighbor had left while Myles came to check on her.

"Minerva. The evening is late. Artemis and Holly have departed. You are free to return to your room." Myles said. He knew Minerva and her family had arranged with his parents to stay in a few of the many guests rooms at the manor for the night before departing tomorrow for France.

"Oh, thank you Myles. But I was hopin' to get a dance in wit Butler." she slurred sloppily.

"Butler is outside smoking with my father and uncles." he announced. "Minerva. You are intoxicated. You should retire for the evening." Myles immediately recognized her slurred speech, her glazed expression, and the manner in which she spilled champagne from the glass she gestured with, laughed like an idiot when she realized what she did, but not stopping.

"Insoxtitaked? What? No, I'm no, I'm not _drunk_." she argued. Irritated initially, her speech devolved to a shameless snicker.

"You are. Please, allow me to escort you to your room." Myles extended his hand towards her, hoping she'd let him lead her away from the public eye before she embarrassed herself.

Minerva giggled. "Okay Myles. Just don't get any ideas." she said with mock severity, only to burst into laughter the instant the words were out of her mouth.

_What kind of ideas?_ Myles wondered, completely innocent to her innuendo. Myles decided not to press the matter and chalked it up to her drunken stupor.

As Myles led her by the hand, he opened the door to her room for her but stood outside in the hallway. "Goodnight, Minerva. I look forward to seeing you at breakfast."

Minerva stumbled in and carefully lowered herself to sit on the edge of the bed. Myles took his leave, pulling the door quietly behind him.

"Myles, wait." Minerva called out to him before he shut the door.

"Yes?" Myles reopened the door partially.

Minerva got back up and felt along the wall to the doorway. Supporting herself on the door, she stopped opposite Myles. She currently stood a foot taller than him, but she knew that would change. She was all of 5'1" so she didn't doubt for a minute that he'd be taller than her before his 13th birthday. She smiled warmly as she looked down at him. He was a very cute little boy. She had to resist the urge to pat his head.

"Thank you for escorting me to my room. You're a gentleman." she said with a smile, then bent down to kiss his cheek.

Myles tried to control his blush but regardless of his efforts, his face flushed a deep crimson. "Uh, of course, Minerva. The pleasure was mine. Well, good night then." Myles hurriedly said, not meeting her eyes.

Minerva giggled slightly. Only a child would flush from a peck on the cheek. Then again, the Fowls were Irish, not French. Even though Artemis was respectful of her culture, she could always feel him tense when she kissed his cheeks in greeting. Poor Myles seemed to be just as prudish. Either that, or he really did like her quite a bit more than she had previously given him credit for.

"Good night, Myles. I shall see you tomorrow."

* * *

As Juliet gathered up her clothing, No.1 was in the bathroom disposing of the condom that Juliet had insisted he use each time. Even though Juliet used birth control pills, it was probably best to still use one since he had seen first hand how magical sperm seemed to achieve unimaginable feats. No.1 looked at his reflection in the mirror, still in his Travis form, sans clothing. He truly wished this was his true form. And that he too, like Holly, could find a place on the surface world amongst humans. Of course, he knew there were no relationship prospects for him with Juliet, they agreed from the very beginning. And he knew he had responsibilities to his race. Juliet made it clear; she would remain his friend... _with benefits._ No.1 smirked at himself as he stepped back into his shorts and morphed the remaining clothing back onto his human form. It was very convenient not needing to have physical clothes beyond his shorts. Demons and imps alike generally only kept themselves clothed from the waist down. The shape-shifting spell took care of whatever outfit he felt like wearing. Deciding the party was over and thus, the tux was no longer necessary. He chose instead jeans and a white t-shirt.

As he walked out of the en-suite bathroom to Juliet's room, she smirked at his appearance. "I still think that's wicked cool, by the way." she commented, noting that his clothing wasn't that of which he had on when they entered the room.

"I'm glad you think so. I would have figured it would have totally freaked you out."

"I've lived with Artemis for over ten years of my life. Very little freaks me out anymore."

"Yes, I suppose. He probably keeps life quite interesting for everyone." No.1 replied politely but could feel his heart sinking. "Juliet." he continued sadly, "I have to go now."

"All right. See you in morning." she stood from the bed, still wrapped in a sheet, and pecked him on the lips.

"No. I meant, I have to go _home_ now. My visa has expired, and I have work."

"Oh." she said quietly as understanding darkened her features. "I see. Do you think you might be back in the future to visit again?"

He gave her a small, sad smile. "I most certainly hope so." He couldn't promise when he'd be able to make it back up. Hopefully while Juliet was still young... and unattached. She certainly had given him quite the education over the past week. He was going to miss her _affections_, but mostly, her friendship. Ever since Holly moved away, he barely had a social life to speak of. The only female who remained in his life was his mother.

"Maybe I could call you sometime?" he suggested.

"Yeah. That would be nice." Juliet smiled, trying to hide the fact that she was actually very sad to see him go.

"All right" he said as he wrapped his arms around her gently. "Juliet. Thank you. I've enjoyed our time together. I'm happy to have made such a _close_ friend." he smiled at her.

She gave a small laugh in reply. "Me too. Take care of yourself, No.1."

His heart plummeted when she used his real name. "Thank you, you too." he whispered against her hair as he held her. A long and painful silence passed before he finally relinquished her. "Goodbye. For now."

She gave him a slight nod before he turned and left the room. Juliet sighed as the door clicked shut behind him. She'd had several physical relationships that meant nothing at all in the past. And even though she was certain this wasn't anything like what Holly felt for Artemis, she still did worry about No.1 and wished him well. She also had to admit, she really didn't want him to leave.

* * *

Artemis rolled from off his stomach on to his back. The Tuscan sun blared in through the curtains Holly left open so she could stare at the moon last night. Artemis groaned as the piercing light nearly blinded his unadjusted eyes. He clumsily stumbled out of bed to shut them and then returned to her side. Holly was still completely passed out beside him, wonderfully nude, with the blankets barely covering anything of her.

"Holly?" he whispered to her. She didn't respond in the slightest. Artemis smirked as a thought struck him. He figured it was time for some pay back.

Artemis crawled over her and began nipping at her ear lobe and neck. Holly made a slight groan from being bothered.

He relentlessly attempted to both rouse and arouse her. Slipping his fingers into her damp folds, he flicked her clit gently.

"Holly. Wake up." he purred softly to her sleeping form. Her eyes scrunched together and she attempted to shift away from this sleep disturbance.

"No I don't think so. You're staying right there." Artemis pinned her shoulder down with his free hand while penetrating her with his middle finger. Holly made a sound that sounded like a sleepy version of a whimper mixed with a moan. He gave a satisfactory smile as he felt her becoming far more than simply damp. He inserted a second finger in her and pumped her just slightly. Still, she recoiled from the stimulation; sleep still holding her hostage.

_Time for a dose of your own medicine, my dear. _Holly had, on more than a few occasions, resorted to waking Artemis in such a fashion. He pushed her knees apart and positioned himself between her legs. Of course, already erect from before he regained consciousness; he placed his cock at her entrance, pausing minutely to ponder if this was ethical despite the fact that she was now his wife.

_She's my wife!_ he suddenly realized. She truly belonged to him now in the eyes of fairy, man, and even God if he or she existed or cared. No longer motivated by retribution but sole desire to make love to the love of his life, he very gently penetrated her.

He sucked at the tops of her ears where they came to an inhuman point, knowing she was overly sensitive there. He spoke directly in her ear. "Wake up now, Holly." His voice was needy and demanding all at once.

Holly blinked once, then twice. Suddenly and without warning, her entire body was jerked as if...

"Artemis!" she cried, very much awake now.

Artemis stopped thrusting into her and lifted himself just slightly up and off her body. He smiled at her bewildered expression and the very impressive hickey he'd left on her neck that was already starting to heal over. He pouted slightly as a blue spark whizzed over it, erasing all his hard work. He resigned that he'd simply need to try harder to leave marks on her body.

"Good morning, love. How did you sleep?" he casually asked as he resumed thrusting into her.

"What on earth are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"I think the answer to that question is quite apparent. No more talking now, unless the next words out of your mouth are 'Make love to me, my wonderful husband' or 'Fuck me hard, Artemis'. Either would suffice."

"Jackass" she mumbled in a playful tone.

Artemis chuckled against the skin on her shoulder. "That was not an option."

"How about 'fuck me hard, my wonderful husband'?"

"That works too. And I shall." Artemis's lips trailed down to her swollen breast where he mouthed her nipple. Holly moaned as he groped her breast roughly and began to suckle her. She writhed beneath him, finding the stimulation highly effective. Her breasts had recently become hyper sensitive and his attention on her bordered that fine line of pleasure into pain. Artemis very abruptly reared back from her body and looked down at her a bit surprised.

Confused by his strange and sudden reaction, she looked up at him. "What is it?"

"Um. You are... you are..." he stuttered, not sure what the appropriate reaction is to what he just experienced.

"I'm what? What's wrong?" she demanded, now mostly concerned that Artemis had actually used the word 'Um'.

"You, are... _lactating_." he finally managed to explain. His expression was slightly worried, as if she may be cross with him.

Holly's eyes widened with surprise, then she burst out laughing. "Oh gods! I am?" she laughed. "What does it taste like?"

Artemis instantly flushed from embarrassment. "You're not upset?" He wondered at her mirth.

"No!" she giggled. But when she realized his unease she looked him seriously in the eye. She spoke softly. "You can have some. I don't think A.J. needs it right now."

He paled at the idea. _Is this really happening? _But keeping his eyes on hers, he returned his mouth to her breast. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and gave him a reassuring look. Artemis closed his eyes and drew, firmly. At first, there was nothing. But then the trickle of thin, sweet liquid pooled on his tongue, and he swallowed. When he released her, and opened his eyes again, she began to laugh at his dumbstruck expression.

"Stop laughing please. You're making this very difficult for me." Every time she giggled, a pulse of contractions would constrict her vaginal walls, feeling very odd against him and seriously distracting him from the task at hand.

"Sorry, hubby." she snickered. He smirked at her then decided that the best way to get her to stop talking and laughing would be to incapacitate her ability to do so. He pressed his lips against hers. Artemis sucked her bottom lip, slightly dragging his teeth across it as he relinquished it. Holly's mirth died right then and there as she bucked her hips up to meet his thrusts.

Happy to be receiving some results, he continued to invade her mouth, seeking out her tongue with his own. She moaned into his mouth as she fisted his hair, keeping his tongue connected to hers. Holly bent and spread her legs further apart to grant him deeper access inside of her. Artemis's wrapped his hand around the back of her thigh and pulled her closer to him. She broke their kiss and gasped at the force he hit her with. Her moans became incessant and she began to plead for her release.

"Please, harder! Oh... gods... yes!" She curled her legs up towards her body and Artemis's hands snaked up the back of her calves and stopped to cuff her ankles. He jerked her entire body by her ankles against him while burying his cock inside of her.

Holly's eyes scrunched together as she felt herself being forcefully filled entirely. Desperate for her release, she began to press firm circles into her clit while Artemis continued his onslaught on her pussy. Artemis held her ankles up by his shoulders while he watched her lithe fingers work her clit while his cock slid in and out of her bare pussy. The sight was impossibly erotic and he could feel the tension building in the pit of his abdomen. Holly's walls spasmed and clenched around him and her fingers sped up on her clit. Holly's body stilled suddenly, her pussy so impossibly tight it took all his force just to stay inside of her. He watched as she came, fluid squirting from her body and against his where he was still coupled to her. The sight did him in and he immediately came after her, his grip on her ankles unconsciously tightening and imprinting finger-shaped bruises into her.

Slowly coming down from his high, he loosened his grip on her ankles only to notice he had bruised her.

"Sorry." he whispered before replacing his hands gently on her ankles. Blue sparks whizzed between his hands and her ankles, healing the damage he had caused.

Holly watched in awe as Artemis used his magic to heal her. She'd seen him use magic before. He had the gifts of tongues that all fairies had, but it wasn't unusual to hear him speak in another language since prior to his magical transformation, he was already fluent in several foreign languages. She'd seen and heard him mesmer a poor hair dresser just to get her a hair cut. But she'd never seen him use 'Heal'. It was truly an amazing sight.

Artemis relinquished her legs and laid down next to her, exhausted. He was beginning to question his course of action. He was trying to wake Holly up, not knock himself out. He panted and wheezed into his pillow, now completely spent. _Maybe that wasn't the best idea_, he thought. He had intended to make love to her several times a day during their honeymoon but he was already tired and he hadn't even had breakfast yet. He crooked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Holly as she skipped out of bed and off to the shower. After what felt like only a second that he had closed his eyes, Holly was shaking him, wrapped in a towel, her hair and body wet, obviously freshly showered. Artemis moaned as he buried his face into his pillow, desperate to stay asleep.

"C'mon, Arty. Don't pass out! The day has just begun!" Holly cried as she climbed on top of his back, shaking him at the shoulders.

"Mff. Get off. I need to sleep." he muttered into his pillow, barely audible.

Holly slid off of him and lay next to him on the side of the bed where she spent the night. "Arty... Arty..."

_Goddamn..._ "What?" he growled.

Holly blinked at him, wide-eyed, smiling brightly. "I'm hungry."

Artemis rolled his eyes. "What the hell, Holly? Why is it every time we have sex, I'm half-dead and you're ready to carve an ice sculpture? Apparently I'm doing something wrong."

Holly giggled and pushed her tiny feet against his hip until he finally rolled over onto his back. He looked over at her, annoyed and exasperated. She still had a huge smile on her face. Despite his irritation and dire exhaustion, he still found her smile infectious. He smiled weakly back at her. "You... are a succubus."

Holly had started to laugh but stopped abruptly. "Oh!" she unexpectedly exclaimed, her eyes popping open in surprise.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"I felt something. Here." Holly rolled on to her back, tugging on Artemis's wrist as she did. She placed his hand on to her belly and lay very still.

Artemis looked at her quizzically as she softly held his hand against her body. Suddenly, he felt a strange movement beneath his hand from under Holly's skin. Artemis gawked down at his hand. The sensation was bizarre, alien and strange… and completely amazing. Now fully awake, Artemis sat up, keeping his hand placed gently on Holly's stomach. He stared down at his hand placed upon her slightly swollen abdomen, curiously wondering what was taking place beneath her skin. Then, once again, the child kicked.

Artemis's eyes widened in wonder and he looked back to Holly's face who wore a nervous smile. The reality of their new lives was starting to settle into their minds. Artemis was a bit surprised to find Holly feeling anxious.

"Holly. I'm sure he'll be a healthy and active child. And you will make a fabulous mother."

Holly gave him a half smile. "Thanks, Arty. Do you feel nervous sometimes? Like you're going to be a total fuck-up or something?"

Artemis propped himself on his forearms to look directly in her eyes. "Firstly, I'm not a total _fuck-up_ at anything."

"You can't cook to save your life." Holly interjected with a smirk.

"I've never applied myself. I'm sure I could if I actually wanted to." Artemis defended.

"Probably." she admitted.

"Secondly, of course I am nervous. It's another life that I going to need to take responsibility for. A child is completely reliant on its' parents for all of its' basic needs as well as mental stimuli and basic education. The parent is expected to provide for these needs when the child is incapable of verbally communicating what it requires. On top of that, the child needs training and discipline as to how to behave as a member of society. And somehow, the parent needs to do all of this without being a tyrannical dictator but someone who genuinely loves and cares for their child's well-being."

"Parental love comes naturally." Holly assured him.

"For some. Not all. And honestly, that's what I'm most worried about. What if it doesn't for me? My father had a hard time with it when I was young. It's only now that he's changed... for the twins. I mean, I know my father loves me as well, but his relationship with me differs from that of his with the boys." Artemis huffed, exasperated. "I don't know. It's confusing. In any case, I'm certain I will be able to care for his physical needs as well as provide him with a vast education on various subjects, but being an actual _father..._ patient, caring, nurturing? These are not my strong suits, Holly. Especially with infants."

Holly ran her finger over his temple, tucking his hair behind his ear. "Artemis. For once, you're actually not giving yourself enough credit. I can't believe I'd ever say that." she chuckled, "I'm sure you're worried because of the person you used to be. But even then, you always loved your family. Always. Just about every crime you committed, you did for them. You've always had a good heart. Misguided, maybe, but always good. You're going to make a great father, Artemis."

Artemis smiled at her before laying back down and snuggling in next to her. "Thank you." he practically whispered. "At least I have you to help me."

Artemis and Holly laid together in intimate silence for an untold amount of time before Holly's earlier request became audibly apparent. Her stomach growled loudly and Holly giggled and she placed her hand over her belly. "You gonna feed your family? I think we're both hungry." Holly said, referring to herself and their unborn child.

Artemis crawled out of bed, found his shorts and a robe and held out his hand for Holly. As Holly took his hand and slid out of bed to stand in front of him, he smiled warmly at her.

"Of course, let's eat."

* * *

Days very quickly turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The honeymoon was over far too soon, in both a literal and figurative sense. Holly's belly grew uncomfortably large as Artemis Julius the Third developed. She would have days where she wouldn't want Artemis to touch her at all because she felt so unattractive despite Artemis's efforts to assure her that wasn't the case. Then she'd have days where she'd practically rape him as her hormones spiked. Artemis was finding her hormonal mood swings to be extremely difficult to gauge and found that more often then not, his presence would irritate her in some manner. Most days, he was letting her be, staying in his study, working on various projects of his own while going to check on her every once and a while.

Holly was seriously crabby once the warmer months had rolled around again. Since the manor was so large _and old,_ it didn't have a central temperature control system. Of course, their bedroom was air conditioned, along with the family room and Artemis's office, but as the hot summer months came, the vast majority of the manor was completely intolerable for her. It didn't matter too much by the time late August came, since the medical warlock stuck her on bed rest so she was trapped anyway. The doctor had decided on this course of action since the child had become larger than what her body was able to comfortably accommodate. He honestly didn't think she'd be able to carry the child to term unless she basically became a living incubator and nothing else. Holly was more than miserable not being able to get up and join the family for meals. She was trapped in bed, reading or sleeping. Thankfully, Angeline had forced Artemis to put a television in the bedroom. At the very least she could block out some of her irritation, with mindless entertainment.

Holly was, of course, laying in bed, watching the newly installed television when Artemis came in to check up on her.

"How are you feeling, love? Can I get you anything?" he asked, cautiously.

Holly scowled at him. "Yeah. You could get your kid out of my body." she barked.

Artemis sighed. "Holly. You know it won't be much longer. You're measuring at 37" now and by human standards-"

"Even by human standards, I'm a fuckin' house!"

"By human standards," he continued, "you are full-term. Of course your abdomen is going to be severely distended."

Holly shot daggers at him. Artemis paled as he recognized that expression as the 'you said something stupid - apologize _immediately_'

"Sorry." he quickly muttered, even though he didn't quite know why he was apologizing.

"Hmph. And I've gotta piss, _again._ Since you're here, you might as well help me to the toilet."

Artemis walked around to her side of the bed to assist her when she suddenly grabbed her belly. "Ah. _D'Arvit._" she moaned.

"Everything all right?" he asked with nervous concern.

"Yeah. This kid is strong. He's beating the shit out of me from the inside out. I swear his heel is completely wedged in my rib cage. Oh great..." Holly threw her hands in the air in frustration. "No need helping me to the toilet now! I fuckin' pissed myself!" she shouted.

Artemis still held out his hand to help her up. She'd need to get out of bed so that the sheets could be changed. Holly tried to scoot towards the edge of the bed before she was suddenly doubled over with a painful cramp.

"Bloody Fucking Hell!" she screamed.

Artemis was seriously worried now. All through her pregnancy, Artemis could always sense her emotions. He knew she was miserable even when she attempted to hide it. He had nothing but admiration for how well she managed all the difficulties of pregnancy. To see her outwardly distressing and sense her pain and fear made Artemis horribly anxious.

"Holly, are you okay? Do you want me to call the medic?"

"No!" she moaned loudly. "Just help me up."

Artemis helped her stand up and more fluid ran down her leg and puddled on the floor. "Good Frond, I couldn't have had THAT much pee in me."

Artemis's heart sank to the pit of his stomach before shooting into his throat. "Holly. That isn't urine. Your amniotic sac has ruptured."

Holly looked at him stunned.

"Your water broke." he explained in layman's terms.

"Yeah, I caught that part." she said quietly right as she was struck with another contraction. "Shit. Call the medic." she moaned.

Forty minutes of painful labor had passed before they even had confirmation that the medic was on his way. Meanwhile, Artemis tried to be helpful by offering to coach her through her breathing but she only got pissed off with him.

"Holly, you need to breathe."

"I KNOW GODDAMN WELL THAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BREATHE!" she bellowed.

"What am I supposed to do, Holly? I'm completely useless to you! Do you want me to check how far dilated you are?" he offered, completely frustrated.

"God, no! Just... sit there. And shut up. You can hold my hand. Or get me something to keep my hair off my face."

Artemis left her side to retrieve a hair tie from the bathroom. By the time he found one and made it back to the bedroom, Butler had returned with the extra towels and ice chips that Artemis had sent him to bring.

"How are you doing, Holly?" Butler inquired from the doorway.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" she wailed incoherently.

"Ah." he replied, understanding completely.

After Artemis had tied up her hair, his phone buzzed against his hip. It was a text message from Foaly notifying him that the medic and his assistant/pilot would be arriving at the manor in less than 5 minutes and he should head downstairs to receive them. Assigning Butler to stay with Holly, Artemis went to retrieve their guests himself, desperate to be useful.

When the elves arrived, Artemis was surprised to see his "assistant/pilot" was Commander Vinyaya. As she was a Council member, Artemis was a bit wary of her presence. But of all the Council members, he trusted Vinyaya the most. Besides, Holly was very close to her. Artemis pushed aside his concerns for the time being and practically shoved the two of them towards the bedroom. As they headed upstairs, Artemis rattled off Holly's medical status for the warlock.

"Her blood pressure is holding steady at 110 over 70. Her water broke approximately 73 minutes ago and the contractions are now less than 2 minutes apart. She won't let me check how far dilated she is." he added, sounding irritated with his unreasonable wife.

The doctor's lips twitched slightly in amusement. "Don't worry, Artemis. She's going to be fine. And so is A.J."

Holly looked more than relieved when she saw her familiar doctor enter the room with his equipment. She was very surprised to see who had tagged along to assist him.

"Commander!" Holly exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it okay with you, Holly?" She asked, gently taking her hand. "You know I have my medical degree. I am qualified. The other Council members thought it would be best if as few people as possible knew about this situation for the time being. They requested me to come and assist, and frankly, I would be more than honored if you'd let me." she explained.

"No, I mean, yes, I'm fine with it. More than. It's great to see y-" Holly managed to spit out before her contractions overpowered her again and she groaned in pain. She gripped Vinyaya's hand with excruciating force.

"It's so good to see you too. Now, do you want some anesthesia or do you want to do this naturally?" she asked Holly.

"Naturally? Hell no- give me the damn shot!" she moaned, then as the contraction passed she changed her tone. "I mean, thank you, Commander."

"Holly, you no longer report to me. I'm here today as your friend. You do not need to address me by my rank."

Holly's pain subsided just long enough to give her a meek smile. "Thanks, Raine."

Vinyaya smiled back at her before retrieving a loaded needle from the medical case. Of course, it wasn't the same type of anesthesia that humans were using on their mothers-to-be. That wouldn't work on a fairy with heal powers anyway. Thankfully too, this medication only needed to be administered in the vein and not directly into the spinal column. Holly recalled how humans clumsily fuddle around in such a delicate area and shook at the thought. _How terrifying that must be..._

Almost instantly after receiving the shot, Holly was more able to rein in control over her contractions. With the pain dulled, though not gone entirely, she was now able to focus more clearly on pushing the child free.

Artemis worried that she'd have to end up with a c-section since the child was so large for her tiny frame. And if that did end up being the case, how would they perform such a surgery here? He was beginning to think it would have been better to request asylum in a Haven hospital. Despite the equipment he kept at the manor and how well equipped the doctor always came, he still felt it would have been more prudent to have the child at a hospital.

The doctor appeared from between her legs. "Oh boy! He's already crowning! No wonder you were in so much pain. You're fully dilated so it shouldn't be much longer."

Artemis was surprised by that information and steeled himself. He was determined to brave a look. He'd been watching several videos online about childbirth in the past few weeks so nothing would surprise him. Still, watching something on a screen about a complete stranger was much different from physically being in the room, watching your wife painfully push out the child you stuck in her to grow. Artemis immediately returned to Holly's side before he passed out.

Vinyaya coached Holly through each push while monitoring the child's progress. Artemis sat beside her on the bed, holding her hand, worrying uselessly, feeling insanity creep upon him. After only 25 minutes of what felt like an eternity of severe pushing, the doctor announced that the baby's head had finally cleared.

"Holly. It's easy from here on. Just look at me." Vinyaya told Holly. "You just have to focus a little while longer. You can do this. You need to push. Now." Vinyaya instructed Holly in a commanding tone.

Holly focused on her former commander's cat-like eyes. She set herself into a fierce determination to finish this task. Despite the anesthesia, it was still painful. Just bearable. _Barely._ She took a deep breath before using the last iota of her strength to push as hard as she possibly could. Both the doctor and Vinyaya's eyes widened as they watched the baby come free.

"He's out, Holly. You did it! Wow... what a big boy!" the doctor proclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised. Seconds later, the sound of a small voice, crying, filled the room.

Exhaustion. Pain. Modesty. All forgotten. "Let me see him. Give him here." Holly reached out her arms, almost frantically, to receive her baby.

The doctor placed the child on her chest and both Artemis and Holly stared in wonder at their son. All the exhaustion was catching up with her and she had absolutely no control over her emotions. She broke down and wept as she smiled down at the infant cradled in her arms. "Hello, son." she greeted him with a shaky voice.

Artemis smiled warmly at his family. He overheard the doctor stating several details for Vinyaya to record. Vinyaya had a small hand-held device, which she typed everything into, instantly relaying the news to Haven LEP. The child had stopped crying for just a few moments for both Artemis and Holly to hear him note the time of birth.

"2:07 a.m., Wednesday, September 1st."

Artemis's eyes widened. He looked down at his watch. Sure enough, they had entered into the early hours of the next day. He looked down and chuckled lightly as he gently ran his finger over the boy's head. "Looks like we share more than just a name, son."

Holly gave a tired sounding laugh. "Happy Birthday... to both my Artemises".

Artemis kissed her temple softly. "Congratulations, Holly. You did it."

"We're parents, Arty." she said as she stared at her son, blinking tears from her eyes.

"Yes we are." he agreed as nerves filled his stomach. Still, he couldn't fight the smile from his face as he looked down at the perfect child in his wife's arms. He had worried that he'd feel detached or distant from this child, or that it would take months if not years to bond with him. Yet, all he felt was nervousness of failing this beautiful child that he seemingly was already completely in love with.

"You want to hold him?" Holly asked.

"Yes." Artemis had answered before he even realized what he'd said. As she held the boy out to him, Artemis suddenly felt unsure that he wouldn't hold the child correctly. There was a certain technique involved and he was not practiced.

Holly sensed his internal dilemma and coached him. "Just support his head, Arty. It's not rocket science."

"Of course not." Artemis said as he took the child gingerly into his arms. "Rocket science is simple."

Artemis Julius Fowl the Third stopped crying for a moment and opened his eyes. Artemis looked into the smoky blue eyes of his infant son. "Welcome to the world, A.J."

* * *

The time had gone by so fast. Day to day life went on, rather uneventful with the exception of A.J.'s antics and growth, or more accurately, lack there of.

Angeline sobbed and dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief as Butler took all of Holly and Artemis's bags to the front foyer. "Oh Arty," she whimpered, "can't you reason with them? Get them to change their minds?"

Artemis sighed heavily as his mother threw her arms around him. "Mother, I've explained this to you several times now. A.J. is too conspicuous. There have not been hybrids of this degree in over a century. And I need to assure his physical health is cared for properly. Humans can not provide the care he requires."

"But, he's my only grandchild! When will I see him again?" she wailed.

"We will visit as often as we can. It won't be long before you see us again. I promise." Artemis hugged his mother in return.

Angeline released him and stepped back somberly, wiping tears as she did. "Make sure you do."

Artemis smiled softly at her. "Mum, believe it or not, most children move out _before_ the start a family of their own. Did you not assume that some day I may choose to leave?"

"No." Angeline readily admitted. "Why would you? You have everything you need here."

It was true. Artemis worked with his family's enterprises as well as doing his own personal investing. His office was more than sufficient to meet his needs. The house was beyond enormous so he never felt cramped or that he didn't have any privacy. He had access to whatever means of transportation he needed to go wherever he wanted. Above all that, he loved being with his family. He had fought so hard to keep them together throughout the years. Now that everything was finally perfect, he had to leave.

"I no longer have everything I need here. I need to care for my son. He is my first priority."

"I know, I know." Angeline said, defeated. "And he should be. I'm just going to miss you all so much."

Holly gave Artemis Senior a hug before taking the hand of her two-year-old son and leading him to the waiting shuttle. Even at two years of age, A.J. was only 20" tall, making his appearance seem suspicious. Especially since he was smaller than most newborn children, yet spoke like an Encyclopedia Britannica. His pointed ears didn't help the issue either.

A.J. was also strangely more powerful magically than both Artemis and Holly combined. He was still having difficulty controlling it. Artemis and Holly both knew how to control using their heal magic to when their was no risk of being seen. A.J. hadn't quite figured out how to do that and the minute he hurt himself, his magic would instantly start buzzing around to fix his injuries. Artemis knew the risk this imposed to The People and remembered his vow when he took Holly that their life would not threaten the fairies exposure. Unwilling to keep his son trapped at home his whole life, he contacted the Council who agreed to have the family move to the Lower Elements until A.J. attained an acceptable human height and had learned a modest control over his powers.

"Mum, I need to urinate." A.J. stated as he tugged on Holly's hand.

"Fine. Go quickly. We need to leave."

The LEP officers came to the door, nervous of all the humans they were visibly appearing in front of, and started loading the Fowl's belongings into the shuttle. Butler stood in front of Artemis, confused and slightly angry.

"How am I supposed to protect you when I can't come with you?"

"Butler. Old friend. You are now officially retired. You are 51 years old and your profession isn't one that can be kept for much longer than that. You have lived for me for the past 23 years of your life. Please. Try to live a little for yourself for a change."

"I'm... going to miss you." Butler admitted.

"As I will you." Artemis held out his hand to shake his, but Butler took it and yanked his charge towards him, hugging him affectionately. A pang of feelings shot through Artemis, who thought he had steeled himself better for this exchange, instead he lingered in his old friend's embrace, content to let the moment play out. He missed him already.

As Holly said her goodbyes to Juliet, Artemis moved on to his brothers. Beckett was sobbing softly and Myles had his usual look of disinterest. "Good bye, boys. Make sure you take the horses out for some exercise."

"Arty..." Beckett whined. "Can't I come with you?"

"I'm sorry. I'll be back to visit in just a few weeks. We'll go flying or do whatever you want then." Artemis tried to console his younger brother. Beckett sniffed as he nodded.

Little A.J. reappeared from the bathroom, wonderfully oblivious to what was going on. Artemis and Holly had only taken him out of the house on very rare occasions and with great caution. The sight of the other elves didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. He crawled into the arms of his delirious grandmother for a hug, was passed to his grandfather before returning to his mother.

"We really need to get going. We'll call you when we get to the new place." Holly announced. They had given Artemis's old communicator to his parents so they could keep in contact.

Artemis the First hugged his son goodbye, fighting desperately to keep his emotions in check. "Take care of that little boy for us, son."

"I will. I'll see you soon, Dad."

"Well, you better not make those little cops wait too long. I'm sure they have better places to be."

Artemis took his son's hand and led him out the door towards the shuttle. A.J. turned back to wave at his grandparents and uncles.

As they sat in the shuttle during takeoff, Artemis considered how Holly had done this for him years ago. Left everything behind. He sighed deeply as he thought how much he'd miss his family. _And the sky... and non-recycled air... and not being gawked at everywhere I go _he thought.

Holly took his hand in her own and squeezed. "It's going to fine, Arty. In fact, it's going to be better than fine. It's going to be great." she smiled warmly.

Artemis smiled back at her. "Of course it will, Holly." he kissed her softly on the lips. "I'm with you."

**Chapter Notes: THAT is the way to get woken up, am I right ladies? **

**So, initially I thought there'd be a bunch of guys who thought the breast milk thing was hot but most guys did not enjoy it. I will tell you this. My best friend has breast fed both her children and produces more than they need so she sells it. There are some moms out there who can't because they are on medication or whatever so they buy breast milk since it IS healthier than formula. However, there is a whole fetish market out there of men who buy this milk for themselves. They will even put in their ads, "would prefer to get it from the source". Yeah... not lying. So, hey, it might not be your thing... but it IS someone else's. Horses for courses, right?**

**Please let me know what you thought about the birthing scene. I pretty much took as much as I could from personal experience and from stories other moms have told me. **

**Remember I still got the epilogue to post! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm so happy my story has over 300 reviews. Maybe the next AF book will inspire me to write another fanfic. Fav me as an author… just in case. **


	24. Epilogue

**A/N: This is it! I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a great exercise and challenge for my creativity and I hope to do it again in the future. For those of you who haven't read my other one shot, it's available on Ru-Doragon's profile called "Reciprocal emotion." It was a collaboration of our two perverted minds. Please give it a read and review.**

**Thank you to all who have reviewed, recommended my story to others and have just faithfully followed this from the beginning. I don't think I would have completed this without the positive reinforcement. **

**Big Thank You to Kitsune Heart for editing this chapter for me. Thanks, girl! ^_^ I know my English sucks...**

**Speaking of Kitsune Heart, she has finished the podfic of this story and it is available on the following links in both mp3 and m4a formats. Please give it a listen!**

***Note that I had to replace the actual "." with the word (dot) so that it would post the link. There are 3 per address. Let me know if you have problems figuring it out but I should hope most of you are tech savvy enough to get it on your own.**

mp3 file link: https:/ www(dot)dropbox(dot)com/s/8cwp1boeqc1poos/An%20Unexpected%20Turn%20of%20Events(dot)zip  
m4a file link: https:/ www(dot)dropbox(dot)com/s/cr2o22d6daz5cx9/An%20Unexpected%20Turn%20of%20Events%20audiobook(dot)zip

**Thanks to my husband for supporting me and editing all previous chapters for me. This story would be riddled with errors if not for your efforts. **

**Once again, I do not own the rights to Artemis Fowl... no copyright infringement intended.**

**Onward!**

* * *

"Waaaah!"

Holly moaned as the scream of the child woke her from her direly needed slumber. Too tired to move, she elbowed Artemis in the side. "It's your turn." she mumbled.

Artemis groaned as he got out of bed and headed for the kitchen. _I'm too old to be doing this again..._ he thought briefly, then, _I guess 43 isn't that old._

He yawned hugely as he took the bottle out of the fridge and headed towards the nursery. As he picked up his screaming child, he wondered once again why Holly refused to allow him to hire a nanny. At least for the first few months. It's not like they had the help of his mother now like they did for A.J. Apparently, Holly felt that parenting was the parents' job and wasn't to be shared or 'dumped on' the help. Artemis didn't understand or share her opinion but it wasn't worth arguing with her. Especially when she was a roller coaster of hormonal emotions.

"There, there, Coral. Calm down. I have your milk." Artemis spoke soothingly to his daughter and went to sit in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. "Sorry, sweetie. You're stuck with Daddy right now. Mommy needs to sleep." _So do I..._

Artemis stared down at the brown-eyed baby girl as she gripped the bottle and nursed down the expressed breast milk. Artemis had gotten used to Holly's breasts leaking by now. She had nursed A.J. until he was nearly 4 years old, which in Artemis's opinion, was a bit disturbing. However, his 4 year old son didn't develop like a human 4 year old. By that age, Artemis Julius had only reached the physical development that would be on par with a 2 year old pure blood human. Though that was only his physical growth. Mentally, he was always advanced even by human standards. It was because of this that Holly and Artemis decided it was best to raise their children in the Lower Elements. At least until they reached physical maturity. Now at 22 years old, A.J. was about the equivalent of a 13 year old human boy. Artemis groaned dramatically when Holly had told him that elves adolescence lasts, on average, for 30 years. Artemis tried to console himself with the knowledge that his son was a hybrid and therefore, may hopefully be through the horrid stage of life quicker.

Completely devouring the bottle, Coral drifted back to sleep in her father's arms. He gently placed her back into her crib before returning to his own bed.

Sighing from exhaustion and exasperation, Artemis laid down next to his wife of now 23 years. Holly slightly stirred next to him as he spooned next to her.

"She fall back asleep?" Holly muttered, half into her pillow.

"Yes. Thank God."

"Mm... Thanks, love."

"Mm hmm." Artemis replied sleepily.

That was the extent of the exchange. Completely exhausted, both of them drifted off, trying to snatch the last few hours of sleep they could be afforded.

* * *

As Artemis tied the Double Windsor knot into his black neck tie, the voices of young boys suddenly flooded the house. Artemis peeked into the living room to see Colby had arrived to pick up A.J. to travel to school together with him. Artemis gave him a brief wave before returning to his room.

Having finished getting dressed, Artemis stared at himself in the mirror and frowned. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles beneath them. Even magic didn't help against a lack of sleep. Aside from looking bushed, Artemis had to admit, he did look very good for 43 years old. He was certain he had Holly's life force to thank for this. Really, he could very easily have passed for mid-twenties. Holly hadn't aged at all. It was another reason disappearing from the surface world for a while seemed like a good idea.

"A.J.!" Holly bellowed from the other side of the house. "Do NOT be late coming home today, you got that? We're going to see your grandparents and uncles tonight so no late afternoon trips over to Hazel Kelp's house."

As Artemis walked into the main living space that connected to the kitchen, he caught sight of his son who was standing in the doorway with the centaur boy. A.J. was a deep shade of red while Colby punched him in the arm. "You are so busted." He said to him. Artemis smiled wryly at them.

Still in her night gown, Holly handed Artemis a cup of tea with toast and kissed him gently on the cheek. Artemis smiled sympathetically at her as he noticed she looked just as haggered as him. "Holly, why won't you let me hire a nanny?"

"No, Arty. I know you were raised by a nanny and so was your father and every other Fowl child. That's not how we do things down here. Domestic help is one thing, and still frowned upon, let me tell you, but having someone else raise your children is despicable." Holly had allowed Artemis to hire a maid and a cook who worked only 3 days a week and lived outside of their home. Other than that, Holly had taken on the majority of the domestic duties herself.

_The battle is lost from the beginning..._ he thought. Shrugging his shoulders at her outburst, he quickly ate his breakfast and resigned to drop the issue.

"I have to go. The conference will start without me if I'm late." Artemis said.

"No they won't. You're the chairman. But still, it's rude to make people wait." She smiled at him.

"All right. I'll see you soon. It is only supposed to take a few hours. I should be home before A.J. I'll brief you when I get back. Try to get some rest in the meantime."

"'Kay. Love you."

"Love you too." He pecked her on the cheek before heading out the door.

* * *

Even though Artemis lived more than 300 miles away from the center of Haven, he still arrived at Police Plaza in 25 minutes. Why humans hadn't managed to even come close to the transportation technology of the fairy race, was beyond Artemis. Of course, being a tenant in Haven, he was forbidden from sharing the technology. However, that could change in the near future.

"Please excuse my tardiness. My daughter is keeping me up lately." Artemis announced to the Council as he entered the boardroom.

"How's Holly doing?" Raine Vinyaya asked Artemis, her voice filled with motherly concern.

"She is well, thank you. Tired, like myself. But otherwise, she is adapting well to the responsibilities of two children." Artemis replied levelly. Vinyaya always had a maternal protection over Holly that honestly made Artemis a bit homesick. He hated the fact that his parents only got to see their grandchildren twice a month. At least this weekend was going to be one of those times.

"So good to hear." Lieutenant General Kelp curtly interrupted the greetings, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Can we get started already?" He wanted to get this conference over with and get Artemis out of his face.

"Of course, _General._" Artemis did nothing to hide his distaste for the former Commander. The fact that he now sat on the Council irked Artemis to no end. Especially since it meant personally working along side him day after day. Not to mention Holly too, before she went out on maternity leave.

"Let's get started." Artemis agreed flatly.

"I don't know about this whole thing, Fowl. You're exposing ALL of us to potential harm! Or does that not matter to you since your little perfect family can masquerade as humans so casually that you risk very little danger to yourselves?"

Artemis scowled fiercely at him. Trouble never ceased to seriously piss off Artemis. Artemis tried very hard on most days not to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was so aggravated by the man still. Yet with the lack of sleep, Artemis was finding self-control was hard to come by and found himself blowing up more often at the General. Recognizing that he was losing composure, Artemis automatically switched his thoughts over to ones he found comfort in. Like that Trouble was fat and balding despite his relative youth for an elf. Aside from that, Lili had divorced him 6 years ago and taken up with Grub. Nothing could have been a bigger slap in the face than that. Except maybe one that was to come... Hazel Kelp, one of his three daughters.

Hazel was definitely the most beautiful of the three girls. Willow and Ash were identical twins and took after their father while Hazel was a fraternal sibling to their set. Hazel was almost a spitting image of her mother, but was quite a bit more clever. Not necessarily what Artemis would consider _intelligent_, but she certainly did have her wits about her. And she was a real fire cracker. Artemis could see why his son had taken such a shining to her, despite his distaste in her family relations. Besides, it never bothered Artemis nearly as much as it bothered Trouble. Artemis had no problems with his son being involved with an elf girl, because really, if he did, he'd be the biggest hypocrite in history. However, Trouble did have problems with his pure blood elf daughter being involved with a human hybrid. More than the fact that Artemis the Third was part human, he was a _Fowl._ And that was worst choice his daughter could possibly make in a prospective mate.

"The risk is high for all of us. Yet I think you'd even agree with me General, that I don't want my children living the rest of their lives underground. The Earth is a very large planet and can certainly be shared. We need to give humans time to adjust to the idea that they are not the only sentient beings on the planet."

"Sentient?" Trouble started, "Barely. I think barbarians would be a much better adjective." He mumbled. Artemis ignored him.

"Moving on." Artemis anxiously tugged at the bottom of his suit jacket before continuing.

"Talks are going well at the UN's General Assembly. Representatives of the house have assured us asylum in four nations thus far; the United States of America, Great Britain, Sweden and of course, Switzerland, though I will not be sending anyone to the U.S. or Great Britain for some time yet. Their pasts are far too shaded. I have proposed a small colony in Switzerland just south of Geneva to begin with. The area was chosen due to their social tolerance and efforts towards peace keeping before the International Democracy took control of mankind's governments. Those who are sent from the Lower Elements have to be just as tolerate. We cannot permit circumstances to breed prejudice and fear in the humans based on intolerance on our part. A committee will need to be formed to interview potential pilgrims who will choose to live as a vast minority amongst the _scary Mud-Men_." Artemis smirked at the last part of his statement.

"Sounds promising, Fowl. But how are we to know that the instant we get up there, they don't decide to capture us and stick us in a lab or worse?" Lope asked.

"Because they have known of our existence since the Tenth Plague. When you chose to assist the Mud Men with the epidemic, you exposed yourself but also warmed their hearts to you. Humans know that, for the most part, you are a peace loving society. If they really wanted to take that course of action, they would have at least made a diligent effort to capture a fairy by now. In addition, they have agreed to allow our own security personnel to be stationed on the colony. Of course, they will have their own bordering their land as well. Trust will have to be earned and no doubt, will take a great deal of time. The safety of our people is still our primary focus. Construction of the new shuttle bay in the city will be completed shortly. Of course, this information has not been divulged to the humans. The colony will be small enough that we can fully evacuate in under 4 minutes, _just in case_. The tunnel entrance is equipped to collapse by remote detonation. They would not be able to follow us, even if they had the equipment to do so."

"How can you have so much faith in your blood-thirsty race to put lives at risk?" Cahartez finally spoke up.

"The world has changed a lot since I left the surface over 20 years ago. And to say its' changed drastically since you left, would be a vast understatement. You do not give humans enough credit. They have made enormous strides in equal rights and social tolerance in the past 50 years. Humans age quickly and thus, die quickly. The generations you are familiar with have long died, along with their great grandchildren. If we don't make efforts to move forward with positive change, if we don't take chances... then we shall live forever in fear under the earth's crust, waiting for the humans to develop the technologies that the planet desperately needs us to start utilizing now. Frankly, that is not the future I want for my children."

"All right, Fowl. We get it." As a father himself, Trouble had a measure of understanding behind Artemis's drive. Frankly, if it wasn't _Artemis_, he'd actually admire his ambitious actions to improve the lives of the future generation. "Who heads up this 'committee' that gets to choose who goes and who doesn't?" Trouble asked.

"I do. Along with Holly." Artemis replied as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Of course." Trouble muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"I'd like at least two others to join me. Council members. Those who feel they themselves could join this colony, because in fact, I am expecting them to." Artemis's vampiric smile graced his face as he took in the shocked expressions of the fairies around him.

"What about you, Artemis? You prepared to live amongst humans with your family and be associated as an outsider?" Vinyaya asked.

"I am an outsider no matter where I am. And yes, I am prepared. As is my family." Artemis answered levelly but inside he was torn. His son's entire memorable life had taken place in the Lower Elements. Geneva wasn't exactly next door to Dublin so he wouldn't even have his family on the surface. His son's commute to and from school will become long and possibly dangerous as he'd need to sneak in and out of the shuttle port each day. Perhaps he'd need to be home schooled. Though he knew A.J. would hate that idea. He was far too much of a 'social butterfly'. Besides, he'd never want to quit the Crunchball team. At 4' tall, he was their star player right now. Artemis would have never thought his son would turn out to be such a jock. _A jock with a brain... it should be an oxymoron,_ he thought to himself, but was nonetheless very proud of his son's accomplishments. Even the physical ones. No doubt his mother's genes.

_It'd be nice to be rid of you_ thought Trouble Kelp of Artemis's announcement that he'd be leaving Haven. Though he knew he'd still have dealings with the Mud-Man everyday, they'd mostly be through video. Trouble could hope that he'd never again come home from work to Artemis already at his house, tearing his son away by the ear.

Cahartez gave a disgruntled sigh. "Well, I'm not happy about splitting up the Council. But I do see your reasoning on the matter, Artemis. I would like the two you take to be Generals. At least one of them will need to act as Chief of Security for the colony."

Artemis nodded. "Agreed." Looking around at the uneasy members, he tried to offer a reassuring smile. "I'm not going to force any of you to go. It will be strictly voluntary. Though I do have... _preferences_... if you're interested."

Trouble raised a skeptical eyebrow at this. "Who?"

"I'd like Raine Vinyaya as Head of Intelligence. Admittedly, I had originally chosen Foaly for this position but as centaurs will not be included in the first wave, I require an elf for the position. Vinyaya has displayed compassion towards the human race in the past and I feel she will be a tolerant person."

Raine hid her shock well and gave a simple nod. She had been giving the surface colony life a lot of thought recently. She liked Artemis's ideals towards integrating their two civilizations and wanted to work with him towards his goals. To hear that he had wanted her for the assignment was flattering. A small smile crept across her face. "I accept."

Artemis smiled in return. "Excellent. I just need my Chief of Security then." Artemis smile began to dissipate to be replaced with one of disdain.

_I can't believe I'm actually _requesting _this_... "For Chief of Security I have chosen someone with a long record of successful missions with both Recon and Retrieval. Someone who's record with the LEP that has shown him to be trustworthy to protect The People's interests above all else." He paused to look at the man in question. "Trouble Kelp."

Trouble's jaw hit the table and his eyes nearly came out of his head. The look of utter shock almost made the request worth it. _Almost_. Still, Artemis couldn't think about his comfort solely. Despite his utter dislike for the former Commander, Artemis had to admit he was the best man for the job. Plus it would mean every other weekend, Hazel would be on the surface to see her father. Artemis imagined he wouldn't see A.J. at all on those weekends.

"I... um, I'll think about it." Trouble spoke quietly, as if he was still lost in his shock-induced haze. Really, he knew he was the best one for the position. His kids lived with his wife, well, ex-wife and his brother of all people. He didn't have the responsibilities that other men had; even Artemis.

"Good. Please do. Now, I will take questions. Please keep them limited to the Immigration Committee. I need to leave early today."

The conference droned on for three more hours with Artemis answering questions he was certain he had already answered in previous meetings if not at that very same meeting earlier. He wondered if anyone was actually paying attention to him in the first place.

Artemis had to cut the Q&A short as time did not allow for him to continue. "Any further questions can be emailed to me. Good day to you, gentlemen," He turned and nodded towards Vinyaya, "Lady." There was still only a single female on the Council to this day. Holly didn't count. She was an ambassador, not an officer.

* * *

As Artemis left Police Plaza, he started heading towards the shuttle port but was spotted by an old friend.

No.1 caught sight of Artemis on his way home and hollered out to him in order to get his attention.

"Hey! Artemis! Don't leave yet!"

Artemis turned to see the demon warlock rushing up behind him. He waved at his friend as he caught up to him.

"Hello, No.1. How are you? I hope the family is well." Artemis politely addressed him.

"Famil_ies_." No.1 corrected him, putting strong emphasis on the back half of the word.

"Yes. I suppose you're right. I don't know how you find time for all those children, let alone wives. I'm more than exhausted with the one wife and two children."

"It's not that bad. The ladies are pretty good about taking the majority of the work with the children. It's common in our culture to all live together. All three of my wives grew up in the compound so they are used to each other already and help one another out."

"Right." Artemis briefly mused how Holly would react if he, even just jokingly, suggested taking another wife. He didn't think he'd survive the prank.

"So how's your daughter?" Artemis asked, changing the subject.

"Claire? Ugh. She's a handful. Both Qwan and I have suffered several burns and unwelcome transformations due to her lack of control. But she's coming along. I think in a few more years she will have it all under control."

Artemis smiled. "That's good to hear. So warlock school has their first witch since, when?"

"Since ever. We didn't even think the warlock gene could be passed onto a female. Apparently we should not assume, since you know what happens when you 'assume'." No.1 smirked widely at the word play he'd learned only recently.

Artemis rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. You make an '_ass _of _u_ and _me'_". Artemis played along reluctantly. "Well best of luck with her, No.1. I'm sure luck will be the only thing that saves you when she hits puberty." Artemis's smile turned malicious. No.1 visibly paled.

"Yeah, thanks." He paused for a moment, trying to think of a topic to change the conversation to and move away from his impending doom. "How's Juliet doing?"

"Well. Now that Madame Ko has finally bit the dust, she's got the training camp to herself entirely. Butler is still with her, though he only advises and give guidance to Juliet and the occasional student. He is 70 after all. Though, incredibly healthy considering." Artemis informed him, a bit saddened by the reality of having to say goodbye to his friend in a relatively short time.

"So she really was serious?" No.1 said more to himself than to Artemis. Juliet had long ago informed him that she had no desire for a partner or offspring. Of course, these were things that No.1 had pined his whole life for. The differences in life goals, along with various other, more obvious, vital differences was what had ended their trysts years ago.

Artemis placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, wrenching him from his melancholic daydreaming. "I really must be going. I'm heading home this weekend."

No.1 knew what he meant by 'home'. In the past two decades, Artemis was still not at home in Haven. No.1 could sympathize. He too, was a minority amongst the fairy people, though definitely more tolerated than Artemis was.

"Of course. Have a good time and give your family, all of them, my best wishes." No.1 said to his friend.

"Thank you. You too. Perhaps we could meet up for lunch next week."

"I'd like that."

Artemis nodded and smiled to his friend before turning to leave for his original destination.

* * *

Artemis sighed as he got to the busy shuttle port. As an ambassador and a rich one at that, he had his own shuttle but it still needed to be docked at the stations. It wasn't like a car that could be driven right up to the house in the driveway. There were no personal garages for them. Thus, Artemis had to still endure the stares and whispers of the people he passed everyday. Although famous by this point, not just for being the only 'human' in Haven, but his past wasn't exactly a secret. Several motion pictures had been made at by now that featured his and Holly's adventures. Despite having his best interests at heart for The People, many did not agree with his current plans for "Operation Civilization Integration" as the plan had been coined. Artemis had laughed out loud when Trouble got completely tongued tied the first time he tried to say it.

Finally making his way back to his house, he found Holly in the kitchen desperately guzzling down a glass of water, some of it dripping down her chin and into her cleavage that was already glistening with perspiration. Artemis watched as the droplets disappeared between her breasts and under her green sports bra. His eyes trailed down to her taut and toned abdomen. No one would ever been able to tell this woman had ever had children, let alone two... the second only months ago. Though that's why Holly was so diligent with her work-outs. Not to mention she'd be taking on students again at the dojo within the next month or so and needed to get back into shape.

Holly finished the water and slammed the glass down on the counter with a satisfied "Ahh". She smiled brightly at Artemis and wiped her mouth on her forearm. "Hi Honey." She greeted him. As she approached him, her pony tail swayed back and forth like a hypnotizing pendulum.

Artemis couldn't manage a response further than a smile as the blood was already beginning its' retreat from his brain. While she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss him, Artemis mused to himself how even after more than twenty years of marriage, his body still would instantly react to her barely clad form. He placed his hands on her hips and held her body next to his. He could feel her lips twitch into a smile around his own, knowing she'd discovered his body's betrayal of just how happy he was to see her.

Holly admitted to herself that it had been a while. Finding opportune times to be alone with Artemis had been few and far between since Coral was born. Lately, she didn't go down for a nap until nearly 3:00 which was right when A.J. would come home. By the time the kids were both in bed, Holly was generally exhausted and just wanted to sleep as much as she could before she knew she'd be woken again. Currently, Coral was still down and A.J. had not yet made his way home, no doubt ignoring her order regarding Hazel, and she still felt rather exhilarated from her work-out. Holly parted her lips just slightly and soon found Artemis's tongue sliding down her own. The sensation sent a thrill down her spine and her legs, quite by themselves, parted around his.

Artemis's hand left her hip and traveled around to her rear, which he paused momentarily to squeeze, before continuing down the back of her thigh. His long fingers wrapped around her leg and he pulled and hitched it to his hip. Holly's hands untangled themselves from the back of his neck and slid down his chest and around his back. Her right hand continued lower and pressed against his ass, effectively pushing his lower half against her.

Artemis was more than happy to find Holly reciprocating his attention and some kind of mixture of a moan and sigh escaped as he moved his lips' attention to the dip behind her ear. He had every desire to tear what little clothing she had on, off in that moment, right there and then, but he was aware of the time. Their relative privacy would be short lived and he should move her into the bedroom before...

Artemis heard the faint hiss of the pneumatic locks triggered and in the less than half a second he had to react, he released her and stepped away from Holly right as the door blew open.

"Hey. I'm home. Didn't go anywhere... came straight home just like you asked." A.J. stated immediately upon entry. Throwing his bag down on the floor, he was heading straight for the kitchen, as usual, when he noticed his parents' expressions. His mother appeared to be embarrassed while his father had some sort of an irritated pout on his face. A.J.'s eyebrows shot up as he mentally questioned their perplexing reaction to his arrival but A.J. was a smart boy and also well into the throngs of puberty himself.

"Oh gross, you two. You know, I didn't have to come straight home. In fact, I think I'll leave now. What's wrong with you guys! You're _old_!" He shouted as he turned away, grabbing his bag and headed straight for the door.

"A.J.!" Holly shouted at her indignant son as he turned to leave the house. He completely ignored his mother's beckoning and had opened the front door about six inches before a strong arm reached over his shoulder, forcing the door shut.

"Artemis Julius, you are not going anywhere. Now go to your room and get your things packed. We're leaving as soon as Coral is up." Holly demanded.

"Fine." A.J. replied in a rather snotty voice. Artemis was not pleased with the tone he was taking with his mother. As A.J. entered his bedroom, he slammed the door shut behind him, reacting in a very typical moody teenager fashion. The noise from the door slamming woke Coral and her cries caused Holly to slam her palm against her forehead.

"Why?" She began to ask, rhetorically. "Why did I want kids..." She stomped off to the nursery to attend to her youngest. Artemis took it upon himself to deal with their eldest.

Artemis knocked on the door to his son's bedroom. Despite his desire to simply barge in, Artemis had to follow the rules he had set for the household if he wanted others to respect them. A.J. knew it was his dad. His mom _would_ have burst in, despite the rules.

"Yeah?" A.J. asked, hoping his dad had only a quick rebuke or request that could be issued from the other side of the door.

"May I come in?" It was technically a question, but A.J. knew there was only one response.

"Yeah." A.J. pinched the bridge of his nose in anxiety. His father's wrath was something he did not face often but on the rare occasion when he did, it was a truly frightening experience.

As Artemis entered his son's bedroom, he silently shut the door behind him, never turning while he did so nor dropping his icy gaze from his son's face.

A.J. froze in place, his hand buried into his bag, mid-action of packing his toiletries. He unconsciously gulped down his stomach that had suddenly leaped into his throat. His father _never_ shut the door behind him. Even though his father was nearly 2 feet taller than him, he never found him to be much of a physical threat. Part of this reason was because Artemis had never lifted a finger against his son. Not even when he was very young. No, when it came to a _physical_ threat, that was his mother's department. Nonetheless, A.J. felt far more intimidated when he got on his dad's bad side.

Artemis's steely glare mellowed a degree when he saw the fearful look on his son's face. It was one thing for his son to recognize his position of authority over him. It was another for him to be scared of him. Artemis sat on the bed next to his son, his expression melting from stern to one of concern. A.J. cautiously unfroze next to his father, putting his hands on his lap.

"You realize you've made your mother mad. She gave you the full name treatment." Artemis mentioned with a hint of a smile in his statement.

"Well, at least it didn't include 'Fowl the Third' attached to it, then I know I'd really be up... uhm, in trouble." A.J. quickly censored his words. He figured saying 'up shit creek' would be counter productive to his current situation.

"Yes then you'd really be up shit creek." Artemis chuckled softly as his son gawked blankly at him. Artemis was very careful with his language around his children but he could tell what his son was thinking and was trying to lighten the mood slightly. However it only seemed to result in throwing his son into shock.

"Uhm, yeah." A.J. choked out.

"A.J. Please understand that your mother's hormones are still unbalanced not to mention she's an elf on top of simply being female, thus making her terribly unpredictable. Please try not to anger her. I usually end up bearing the brunt of it when you do. I'd appreciate your cooperation in the matter."

_That sounds more like him._ A.J. mused as his father's tone changed back to one of a business exchange. "Yeah, _I mean, _yes, of course. I apologize."

"Very good. Now, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Something else?" A.J.'s could feel the cold sweat already forming on his face.

"Yes, well. I've noticed you're spending quite a bit of time with Hazel Kelp these days. As your parent, it is my responsibility to educate you on certain matters."

_OH MY GAWD NO!_ A.J.'s stomach lurched as he realized his father's intentions. "Dad! Seriously! I'm all set. I mean, you know I've already finished my Master's in which, I had to complete a basic biology course on both fairies and humans. I don't think there's anything you need to talk to me about that I don't already know."

"Really?" Artemis just slightly smirked at his son's very apparent discomfort. He debated really seeing him squirm by asking him something terribly inappropriate like if he was participating in cunnilingus but decided against it. He snickered quietly as he imagined his son's assured reaction. No doubt exactly how he'd react if it was his father saying it to him. Being in the father's position now, Artemis realized only now how much fun his father had tormenting him.

"Really, Dad. I'm all set." Fear gleamed in his eyes as he pleaded for him to change the subject.

"I just want to be sure you're taking precautions." Artemis decided to give this conversation a measure of the seriousness it warranted.

"Yeah, Dad. I don't exactly want to be a father myself before my 25th birthday." A.J. replied, his complexion going paler than his father's.

"What's wrong with having a child before your 25th birthday?" Artemis asked with mock offense. Of course A.J. wasn't quite as physically developed as Artemis had been at 25, but still, Artemis was married and a father at 21. By 25 he was already down in Haven and working on the Council.

"Oh! Uh... nothing I suppose." A.J. realized quickly that he had stuck his foot in his mouth as his own father was only 21 years older than him. By fairy standards, he was more like a brother in age. After all, Coral was 22 years younger than him.

"I think I'd just rather be, uh, married... before I starting thinking about kids of my own." A.J. was treading on very thin ice. He was also aware that he was conceived out of wedlock not that that meant much down in Haven especially since they were already partnered at the time.

"That's understandable." Artemis said, not taking any offense whatsoever to his son's comment. "So, then you two are physically intimate?"

"What? No! _Oh Frond help me.._. It's not like that. I _assure _you. It's not." A.J.'s voice shot up an octave in his panic, though in the back of his mind he was thinking 'unfortunately'.

Artemis released a breath he was unaware he'd be holding in until now. He casually gave his son a brief pat on the back before standing to leave. "Good. I'll leave you to finish packing."

A.J. was just about to return to his packing when his father paused at the door, his hand already on the knob.

"A.J. I wouldn't mind if you were. Your mother and I just want you to be responsible." And then he left. His son gawked at the closed door, trying to process the strange and uncomfortable exchange he'd just experienced. He knew this would soon prompt another discussion regarding birth control methods and A.J. was already cringing at the thought.

While still staring blankly at the door, it spontaneously blew open. No knock.

"A.J.! Get ready! We have to go!" His mother shouted as she burst in, baby hitched to her hip. "C'MON! Haul it!" She disappeared, leaving the door wide open behind her.

* * *

The shuttle landed at Fowl Manor, shielded, and Artemis called his parents on their communicator to let them know they had arrived. His father, despite being in his mid-sixties, was still very lithe. It most likely had something to do with the fact that Artemis and Holly took care of any minor ailments that struck him and his family. In addition, 12 years ago No.1 had come up to regenerate his missing leg. Artemis Senior didn't look a day over 50 and acted as if he was still in his thirties. He was retired for the most part, though he did still coach Myles from time to time, who was currently the President and Chairman of the Board for Fowl Enterprises.

As the family came up to the door, Beckett burst open the door, a huge smile plastered on his face. "Holly! How the heck are you?" He bellowed.

Artemis frowned. "Hello to you too, brother."

Beckett smiled. "Oh, hey Artemis." he nodded then moved over to A.J. "Hey kiddo! How's it going?" He ruffled A.J.'s hair as he greeted him.

"Uncle Beckett, I am only 6 years your junior despite my physical appearance." A.J. said flatly, scowling at the juvenile treatment his uncle gave him.

"Yes of course. Such a big boy now." He said, slightly mocking him. He turned his attention back to Holly. "So how's my favorite sister-in-law?"

"You shouldn't say that too loudly, whether it's true or not." Artemis said, mumbling the last part. "Minerva might hear you."

Beckett rolled his eyes. "Let her. And it _is_ the truth." Beckett couldn't stand Minerva. That's why he moved out 4 years ago, leaving Ireland entirely to pursue his hobby of snowboarding as a profession in Vancouver.

"I'm well, Beckett. Thanks. Just tired. You wanna take her?" Holly asked him, holding out Coral.

"Er, I think you should just pass her on to Mum. She's been jumping out of her skin since I got here... constantly shrieking about how she was having her grand babies coming for the weekend and had all her boys at home. Ugh. Best of luck to you, _mon capitaine_." He turned back to Artemis and gave him a sarcastic salute.

Artemis groaned. His mom was a little off the wall these days. Even though Myles still lived in the manor with his wife and daughter, Angeline seemed to be suffering with some kind of empty nest syndrome ever since Beckett had moved out.

"Great. Thanks for the warning." Artemis moaned.

The warning hadn't come a moment too soon. Angeline came sprinting out to the front avenue, arms open wide, searching out her grand kids.

"A.J.! My little sweetie! Come see Nana!" She shouted, her voice shaky with emotion. As she wrapped A.J. into a tight hug, Artemis could see his son grimace and couldn't help but smirked at him. The poor kid had already endured so much torture today.

She released him from her constricting hug only to hold him by the shoulders. "Let me look at you. You're getting bigger!" she declared before placing a wet smooch on his forehead, leaving a bright red lipstick mark.

A.J. wiped his face on his forearm, scowling the entire time. "Grandma, I haven't grown a millimeter since I was here last. It's only been two weeks."

"Well, you look bigger to me." She smiled at him. She moved on to Holly, much to A.J. relief, and instantly held out her hands to hold Coral. "Let me see the little one! Ooh... Hi Sweetie!" her voice kicked up a few octaves and she spoke to the infant in a sugary sweet tone. Coral cooed at her grandmother. "You're so adorable! You look just like your mother." Angeline said. It was true. Coral was almost an exact replica of Holly aside from the fact that her ears were slightly more rounded, her hair a shade darker though still quite red, and her skin just marginally lighter than her mother's. Her lips were just as cherub-like and her eyes a warm hazel.

Holly graciously handed over her daughter to her mother-in-law. It was hard not having much help with the baby this time around, but that didn't warrant hiring someone to do it. Even if they could afford it, it was still unethical.

"Well, aren't you going to come in?" A voice from the doorway asked. Artemis looked up to see Myles smiling at him, a bouncing 4 year old girl around his knees excitedly clapping her hands. With each jump her blond curls uncoiled slightly only to spring back into their tight ringlets.

"_Oncle_ Ah-temis!" The small girl couldn't contain her jubilation any longer and burst towards Artemis, grabbing him around the knees in a tight embrace.

"_Bon soir, ma cherie. Comment ça va?_" He asked his niece, unconsciously switching to French.

"_Trèsbien._ _És tu?"_ The girl's voice was so sweet it could have given one cavities.

"_Bien, merci, Josephine."_ Artemis kissed his niece on the forehead before she ran over to give both Holly and A.J. a welcome hug.

After giving Holly a much less enthused hug, she crushed A.J. in an embrace, kissing both his cheeks. "Cousin!" She cried.

"Hi Josie." A.J. said in a completely flat tone. These weekend trips were starting to become taxing. If it wasn't for the fresh air and the horses, he'd beg to opt out and stay with Colby for the weekend. Though his dad was teaching him how to drive these days and he really, _really_ loved his mom's car.

The small girl smiled hugely at him before running back to the doorway where her father had been previously, where her mother now stood.

"Mama," Josephine asked, "can Ah-jay takes me to the horses?" Her accent was a mash-up of Irish and French, making her words indistinguishable to most.

"Quickly. We'll be having dinner shortly." Her mother said with a nod, evoking a squeal from the girl and an enormous sigh from A.J.

"All right. C'mon pipsqueak." A.J. motioned for his only cousin to follow him out back. The two of them left their parents and uncle in the front avenue. Angeline had long disappeared inside with Coral to find her husband and show off the baby.

"Artemis. You look... amazingly well." Minerva noted of her friend. Though Artemis was also in his forties, he could have easily passed for the missing triplet to his brothers. Despite the fact that he was 2" shorter than them.

"As do you." Artemis said politely. It was true, she didn't look 40. Maybe early thirties. Having a father who's a plastic surgeon had its perks. And speaking of perks, Artemis's couldn't help but notice her breasts appeared quite a bit fuller than the last time he'd seen her...

A sensation of impending doom struck Artemis suddenly, making him terribly anxious. He quickly recognized the sense was being emitted by Holly and being her partner, he was sensitive to her moods, especially when they involved injuring him. His eyes trailed over to her, standing about 10 feet behind Minerva talking with Beckett. Holly had her fists balls down at her hips and a dangerous, wild look in her eyes. Artemis was almost certain he could see some kind of burning blue battle aura around her and realized she had caught him ogling Minerva's tits. He very hurriedly finished up his pleasantries with Minerva before stating he was heading inside to get settled before dinner. Holly stalked behind him, her laser beam glare boring holes in him the entire way.

When they reached their bedroom, Artemis opened the door, holding it so that Holly could enter before him. She stomped in, not saying a word or even glancing in his direction. Artemis internally groaned as he followed her inside then gently shut the door. He more than half expected her to start tearing him to shreds as soon as the door clicked shut, but instead she said nothing.

"Holly." He tested her reaction to him simply talking. Sometimes that's all it took. Yet she still was quietly stewing. She continued to completely ignore him while she unpacked her toiletries into the bathroom.

"Holly, please don't be mad with me. I was simply noting that it appears as if she has had more work done and am curious as to why. I'm concerned as to whether or not she does it of her own volition or if Myles is pressuring her in some way because if that is the case, I will need to have words with..." Artemis tried to offer excuses but Holly butt in.

"I don't care Artemis. I understand you're a man with working eyes. I don't expect you to not notice a set of Double D's staring you in the face." Holly said. Her words didn't match her body language though, Artemis noted. She sounded as if she wasn't mad with him yet with each item she pulled from her bag, she'd slam it down on the bathroom counter.

"Then why are you angry?" He asked.

"I'm not angry."

"Yes you are. What's bothering you?"

"What makes you think something is bothering me?"

Artemis shut his eyes while he breathed in sharply through his nose. _Patience..._

"Holly. If you'd like to talk to me, I would love to hear what you're thinking. Otherwise, I will not pressure you to share." He decided to leave it at that. That usually melted her a degree or two.

Sure enough, Holly sighed, her shoulders that had been completely rigid dropped down and the fierce expression on her face melted. "Artemis..."

"Yes?"

"Aren't you... bored with me?" Her voice was so quiet he wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"What?" He asked, certain he must have misheard.

"We've been together for over 20 years now. I mean, you've only _ever_ been with me. Aren't you, you know... getting sick of me?"

"What on EARTH are you talking about it?" Artemis exclaimed, finding her question unusually absurd.

"C'mon, Artemis. You can tell me if you want a break. I know I'm not the easiest person to be with."

Artemis's hands flew to his temples, his fingers threading and fisting in his own hair. He groaned loudly at his wife's hormonal swing. "Holly. You are talking nonsense." He moaned as he closed his eyes, pulling at his own hair in frustration.

"Am I?" She asked, her voice sounded far away, as if she wasn't really replying to Artemis at all. "I've had two kids now. I'm not as young as I was when you first fell in love with me. I'm not the same person as I was back then."

_Oh God, when are her hormones going to stabilize?_ "Holly, love, I assure you that is _not_ the case."

"Then why'd you look?" She asked, now very audible.

"Because! As you said, they were in my face! You noticed, didn't you?" Artemis tried to make a defensive argument.

Holly frowned, knowing he was, once again, right. "I know, I know. I'm just, I guess... a little insecure. I'm sorry, Artemis. I know I've been a little crazy since Coral was born." She gave a meek smile in spite of herself.

"Holly. I've been with you as your partner for over two decades. I've known you for three. You are my best friend. My soul mate. I try my utmost to be as patient as I can possibly manage. I do understand that your hormone levels are unstable right now. But rest assured, I don't have eyes for anyone other than you. Minerva is my _sister-in-law, _so please don't think I could possibly be interested in her."

"I know. Sorry." Holly said as she hugged him.

Artemis smiled warming at her. "Don't be. I'm the one that's sorry. If it had been reversed, and you were looking at Trouble..."

Holly cut him off, again. "Yeah right. Like that would happen. What on _earth_ is he eating that's making him so fat?"

Artemis didn't say anything though he knew of the General's issues with alcohol. And frankly, alcohol does have quite of bit of calories in it.

"Perhaps he's just not as active as he used to be." Artemis offered, trying to sound civil.

"Artemis. You've turned too nice." Holly smiled and pecked him on the lips before leaving the room to meet the family for dinner.

_There is such a thing as 'too nice'?_ Artemis wondered. _Perhaps the children have turned me 'soft'. _He thought briefly before following her out of the room to meet the rest of the family for dinner.

* * *

At the dinner table, Artemis's parents were completely captivated with Coral. A.J. once was slightly irked how he felt completely tossed aside now that there was a baby, but he was older now and he already got all that jealousy out of his system when Josephine was born. Now, he was actually happy someone was taking his grandmother's attention away from him. He was sick of wiping lipstick off his face and lately, his grandfather was asking... _questions_. In fact, he wouldn't doubt that his conversation with his own father earlier was prompted by his grandfather. A.J. ate his meal silently, answering any question asked of him with one word answers.

Holly was captivated with Beckett's stories of his new life in western Canada. When he started going into a detailed description of one of his female students, Holly smirked at him.

"What happened to Diana?" Holly couldn't keep the amusement from her voice.

"Oh, she's still around. As is Veronica. And Stacey." Beckett's smile grew and turned more mischievous.

Holly burst out laughing. "Oh gods, you're such a player." She choked out. Angeline heard this, saw Beckett's nod in agreement and shameless smile, and scowled at him showing disapproval in his lifestyle. Even though Beckett didn't catch her expression, Holly did and cleared her throat nervously.

"So, how often do you get to come back to Ireland?" She asked, completely changing the topic.

Meanwhile, Artemis and Myles were in deep conversation about stock holdings and product development for Fowl Enterprises. Occasionally Minerva would chime in as she was still head of R & D, but Artemis would simply smile and nod in acknowledgment and continuing talking with Myles.

"What are you going to do about Phonetix?" Artemis asked.

"Oh, I already bought them out last week. They will be our foothold in the U.S. After that, I'm looking at Australia." Myles explained.

"You bought out Phonetix? Nicely played, brother." Artemis praised his younger sibling.

"Yes. Within the next two years, wi-fi and cell phone coverage will virtually be available absolutely everywhere. Of course, we haven't figured out the whole 'tunnels' issue."

"I can probably help with that... in time. The People's satellites are far more powerful. After all, we need to penetrate the earth's crust, not just the subway." Artemis smiled.

"Really? You think you'll be permitted to share fairy technology?" Both Myles and Minerva's eyes widened at the thought.

"In time. I'm not at liberty to discuss matters in details, but," Artemis's vampire smile crept across his face, "we should be moving back to the surface shortly."

Myles's feelings about this were mixed. He missed his brother and loved his niece and nephew. But he couldn't help but feel slightly threatened by the idea. If Artemis would be moving home, would he expect Myles to simply step aside as Chairman over the company? Not to mention his insecurities about his own wife...

"Really? That would be awesome!" Beckett had no such reserves. "You moving back into the manor or you heading elsewhere?" He asked the question that was on everyone's mind. Angeline had stopped cooing to her youngest grand child to listen with bated breath.

Artemis eye slightly twitched at his brother's terrible grammar but had long ago given up on correcting him. "Elsewhere. I can't say anymore right now. But I'll visit just as often as I do now. Maybe more so. I don't know exactly how busy I'll be."

Both his mother and brother released the air in their lungs in a huffed sigh. It was odd how a simply sigh could express so much emotion. Angeline was just as visibly disappointed as Myles was relieved. Artemis understood his mother's reaction but was a bit amused by his brother's.

"I am very busy with my work, Myles. I'm afraid I won't be able to offer you much assistance with the company." Artemis continued, suspecting Myles's fears.

"Oh, no I understand. I've manage thus far." He said, a bit embarrassed that his brother had picked up on his insecurities.

"Of course you can." Artemis smiled genuinely before returning his attention to his meal.

The rest of dinner wrapped up quickly. Timmy made a comment on Holly's truly graceful eating habits and Angeline lectured Beckett on finding someone to 'settle down with'. Before long, A.J. had fled to his room, very thankful to have his hand-held communicator with him so he could give Hazel a call. Artemis and Holly also shortly left to retreat to their room for some 'personal time'.

* * *

Artemis rested his head on Holly's collar bone, sweating and panting for air. Holly gave a mild laugh when Artemis very quietly huffed out 'thank you'. Artemis listened to her pounding heart as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"We got to get more friends to agree to take the kids more often." She said.

"I've been saying we should hire a nanny now for..."

"No, Artemis. Not an option." Holly cut him off.

"What about a sitter? Just for an evening or weekend at the most?" Artemis tried to offer a compromise.

Holly groaned. "Maybe."

Artemis rolled on to his side of the bed, shutting his eyes and preparing for sleep. Holly, however, had something on her mind.

"What did you talk to A.J. about earlier?" She asked.

"Oh. I wanted to know if he was sexual active with the Kelp girl." Artemis answered, very blasé.

"AND?" Holly's heart jumped into her throat at the thought.

Artemis peeked an eye open at her, who was now sitting, completely awake. "And he's not."

"How do you know he wasn't lying?" Holly asked, suspiciously.

"He's not. He's too scared right now. Though that will probably change as Hazel matures and becomes more... _expressive_ in her interest."

"How can you be so calm about this? You can't possibly want him to be promiscuous! You should have threatened his life should he decide to change his course of action!"

"Holly. Of course I want him to exercise proper morality. I just know he's going to do what he wants regardless of what you or I tell him to do. All we can do if offer guidance. If we are to tie him down with unbending laws, he's just going to lash out."

Holly frowned but didn't offer any argument. A.J. was a very smart boy. She was going to have to learn to let go at some point. Maybe he did deserve a measure of trust since he'd never caused them any strife.

"Well, good night Artemis." Holly said as she settled in to the blankets.

"Good night dear." He said, half in a yawn, before passing out.

* * *

The weekend passed, rather uneventful. Artemis ended up working most of the time with Myles on his current projects. A.J. was stuck with Josie and his grandfather the entire time, going riding and watching old Disney movies with his young cousin. Angeline was inseparable from Coral and Holly ended up going shopping with Minerva. It was the typical weekend at the Fowl Manor. And as usual, it went by far too quickly. Before Holly knew it, she was packing her stuff back up to return to Haven. Angeline, once again, bawled her eyes out as they hurriedly boarded their shuttle and took off. Beckett waved madly at the blur disappearing from the back lawn.

Upon their arrival home, A.J. danced through the front door, very happy to be home. He immediately retreated to his room. Holly heard him talking on his communicator within 30 seconds in an exaggerated deep voice. Obviously Hazel was on the other end of the line.

Artemis hadn't even shut the front door before his communicator buzzed against his hip. He looked at the caller ID to see who it was and frowned. Holly saw his reaction and raised an eyebrow in suspicion before Artemis began walking into his office to accept the call. This piqued her curiosity but she didn't ask anything. Even though she was also an ambassador, she knew there was information that she wasn't necessarily privy to.

Once Artemis had the door closed, he pressed the "accept" button. "Yes?" He answered.

"Are you home now?" The caller asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. I'm coming over." The caller hung up abruptly, not giving Artemis a chance to refuse.

Artemis emerged from his office, his expression appearing _displeased_. Holly cautiously asked him if everything was okay to which Artemis just gave a rather unconvincing nod. She could sense his apprehension.

Less than five minutes of uncomfortable silence passed before the door bell rang. Artemis opened the door to his expected 'guest'. Artemis waved in a very formal fashion, inviting the visitor into his home.

Holly's eyes widened as she saw Trouble enter the house, appearing just as uncomfortable as her own husband. He gave her a weak smile and 'hello' before taking a seat across from Holly on the couch.

Artemis shut the door and took a seat beside his wife who held their sleeping daughter in her arms. "What can I do for you, General?"

"I need to talk to you about some things. First of all, your son..." Trouble started.

Holly's shoulders went rigid at the mention of her child. She instantly went into 'mother lion' mode and glared dangerously at Trouble. "What about A.J.?" She asked, her voice dangerously low.

Trouble ignored Holly's threatening tone and looked straight at Artemis. "I just wanted to see if you discussed what we talked about earlier."

"It's been handled." Artemis answered curtly.

"Good. And?" Trouble replied.

"And you needn't be concerned." Artemis replied, irritated.

"What? What's going on? What are you involving A.J. in?" Holly barked at the two men, angry they were leaving her in the dark.

"It's nothing, love. It's been handled. General Kelp was concerned for his daughter. That's all." Artemis tried to calm his wife before she blew up at both of them.

"His daughter?" She asked incredulously. "Hazel?"

Artemis nodded. Holly went silent but the vibe she emitted told Artemis he better spill every detail as soon as they had privacy. She figured it was the 'talk' he had had with A.J. before they went up to the surface that weekend, but why Trouble was asking Artemis to have this discussion with him threw up some red flags for her.

"That's not all I came here for, Fowl. I... I thought some more about what you said on Friday." Trouble continued, suddenly becoming even more uncomfortable and stuttering slightly in his speech.

"And?" Artemis asked, a smirk already forming on his face. Artemis could read body language on even those who were skilled at hiding it. But Trouble was pretty much an open book to just about anyone.

"You..." _Oh gods...cut out my tongue now..._"and you are right." The words came out sounding like they tasted like eight day old vole curry mixed with shame.

Artemis's smirked developed into a full vampire grin as he heard the words that he loved so much. As much as he liked hearing it, it meant something he wasn't overly keen on.

"I guess we'll be seeing more of each other then." Artemis replied. The words didn't sound all that enthused.

"Yep." Trouble's reply sounded just as unenthusiastic.

"You'll need to officially accept the position at the next Council meeting. But, until then... welcome aboard."

Holly finally realized what was going on. Trouble was joining the Immigration Committee. Which would mean he'd be living in the colony with them... a very small community. She'd be seeing him _everyday..._

"Wait! Trouble, are you sure? What about your girls?" She asked, hoping he had dimly overlooked this.

"I only get them every other weekend. They can either come to me or I'll visit them down here. Hazel has already expressed an interest in living with me full-time but that still has to be decided with her mother and the courts. She may be the same age as your boy, but she's not quite as mature. I won't be home that often and I'm not sure it would be the best choice for her. Besides, I know she has ulterior motives in her request." He hinted, looking behind Artemis and Holly to where A.J. bedroom was.

Artemis smiled at a distressed looking Trouble. "Your daughter is a sweet girl. I believe having some of the younger generation living on the surface will breed acceptance in our culture."

Trouble grunted in some sort of displeased agreement. He stood abruptly and began to head towards the door. "Well, I suppose that's it." He muttered.

Artemis rose and see him out. Before he opened the door for him, he extended his hand to him. "Trouble. Thank you."

Trouble shot a glare from his hand to his face, which appeared genuinely sincere.

"I'm not doing it for you, Fowl." He grumbled.

"I know. Regardless, I'm thankful."

Trouble hesitated slightly but with a giant sigh, he shook Artemis's hand. Artemis smiled warmly in response.

"Excellent. Let's build a new future for our children together."

Trouble gave a small, meek smile in return. "Sounds good... Artemis."

* * *

**The end! Thank you to everyone who read my monster-sized story! I'm very happy that many of you enjoyed it. I hope you will add me as a Favorite Author and check back periodically. I started a fic that starred A.J. as a teenager and what life in Haven was like for the Fowl family but I abandoned it. Maybe one day. **


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